Main Library
The U.S. health system has been evolving over the past decade to focus on the quality and value of care. Until recently, though, value-based payment models have not explicitly addressed longstanding racial and ethnic inequities in care.
This month, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the not-for-profit health plan I lead, introduced a value-based payment model that will reward clinicians for closing equity gaps, starting with areas including colorectal cancer screening, blood pressure control, and diabetes care. Four of the largest health systems in Massachusetts have signed these contracts, the first of their kind.
We will be sharing our methods and learnings to support other payers across the U.S. that are eager to contribute to a more equitable health system.