Value-Based Payment Models Associated with Lower Acute Care Use

Garrett Schmitt, , , , ,

Medicare Advantage beneficiaries whose primary care organization participated in a value-based payment model saw lower rates of hospitalizations, observation stays, and emergency department visits, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. Value-based payment models incentivize providers to deliver quality care while keeping healthcare spending low. As stakeholders see positive results, Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans have shifted toward…

Physician-led data analytics teams becoming more important in healthcare

Garrett Schmitt

More than ever before, data drives the business of healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic in particular brought statistics, data and analytics to the forefront. The healthcare industry saw real scrutiny on the sources of its data, as well as on the collection methods and analysis around it. This intensified the pressure to have accurate, streamlined and scalable data analytics capabilities…

A Typology For Health Equity Measures

Garrett Schmitt

After George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, state governments and our health care system have increased attention to racism and its impact on health equity. There has also been heightened awareness that health equity is a problem for communities other than racial and ethnic minorities, including persons with disabilities, people residing in rural communities, non-binary…

Sneak Peek into the Post-Acute Care Industry Trend Report

Garrett Schmitt

Our recent analysis of Medicare Fee-For-Service claims data continues to confirm what we have believed for years—post-acute care plays an essential role in reducing unnecessary healthcare spend in the U.S. Shifts towards value-based care and an influx of baby boomer beneficiaries promises a multitude of opportunities for home health, hospice, and skilled nursing organizations to…

Hospital Populations Do Not Reflect Communities, Imperil Health Equity

Garrett Schmitt

Some 50 percent of hospitals in the United States are racially segregated, meaning the patient populations they serve do not reflect the demographics of their communities, according to the latest analysis from healthcare thinktank Lown Institute which was emailed to journalists. This imperils national efforts for addressing health equity. The cities with the most racially…

ACOs increase shared savings, but quality drops, data shows

Garrett Schmitt

The performance of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations has been mixed. When ACOs were first launched, the goal was to save costs and improve quality, with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services offering two models with two distinct levels of risk. Now, data shows that while cost savings do, in fact, occur under both models, quality decreases….

Podcast: Analyzing the New ACO REACH Model, with Rick Goddard and Joe Satorius

Garrett Schmitt, , , , ,

On February 24th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revealed the highly-anticipated fate of the Innovation Center’s (CMMI) Direct Contracting model options, announcing a redesign of the Global Professional Direct Contracting (GPDC) Model and the permanent cancellation of the Geographic Direct Contracting (“Geo”) Model. The revamped and rebranded GPDC model—now called Accountable Care…