Maternity care clinician inclusion in Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations

Garrett Schmitt

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are a payment and delivery model designed to incentivize the provision of high-quality care at lower cost. Evidence of reduced spending in Medicare ACOs compared to traditional payment models has prompted states to experiment with the use of ACOs in their Medicaid programs. Preliminary reports from Medicaid ACOs have shown a…

The Importance of Care Coordination for Chronic Disease Management

Garrett Schmitt

Care coordination is essential for patients with chronic diseases whose treatment plans require provider input from multiple specialties. Treatment for diabetes—one of the most expensive chronic diseases in the US—may incorporate care from over ten kinds of healthcare professionals. If these providers have poor communication, they can make a patient’s diabetes treatment plan even more…

Virtual or in person: Which kind of doctor’s visit is better, and when it matters

Garrett Schmitt, , , , ,

When the covid-19 pandemic swept the country in early 2020 and emptied doctors’ offices nationwide, telemedicine was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Patients and their physicians turned to virtual visits by video or phone rather than risk meeting face-to-face. During the early months of the pandemic, telehealth visits for care exploded. “It was a dramatic shift…

Health Equity Framework for Medicare Organizations

Garrett Schmitt

In October of 2021, CMS’s Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) released their Ten-Year Strategic Plan which has five main pillars, one of which is Advancing Health Equity. They also outlined one of their key goals, to have all Medicare beneficiaries in some form of accountable care relationship by 2030. Achieving this goal will…

Leveraging Primary Care Population-Based Payments In Medicaid To Advance Health Equity

Garrett Schmitt

High-quality primary care is a critical tool to advance health equity within Medicaid, which includes many enrollees who identify as people of color. This population experiences long-standing health inequities due to factors including structural racism and historic underinvestment in safety-net institutions. To support higher-quality, more equitable primary care, there is growing consensus that payment reform…

Risk for Reward: Strategies Every Provider Should Adopt in Value-Based Arrangements

Garrett Schmitt, ,

It’s no secret that something needs to be done in order to curb the unsustainable increase in Medicare spending. In 2021, overall Medicare cost grew 8.4%, or 21% of total national health expenditure, greatly exceeding the pace of economic expansion and in turn threatening the long-term financial viability of the program. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid…

Value-Based Care And A Path To Achieve Comprehensive Care In The Safety-Net

Garrett Schmitt

“Safety-net” health care organizations are a critical backbone of the US healthcare system, providing care to millions regardless of their ability to pay. Despite significant variability in how the safety-net is characterized, a growing number of definitions identify safety-net providers based on the populations they serve: traditionally disadvantaged individuals, including historically marginalized racial and ethnic…