In a surprising move, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced that it may still implement mandatory bundled payment models… including several initiatives that were cancelled last year.
Speaking at the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative Conference on November 8, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the agency has reexamined its approach to value-based care. “Real experimentation with episodic bundles requires a willingness to try mandatory models. We know they are the most effective way to know whether these bundles can successfully save money and improve quality,” he said.
Azar’s comments stand in sharp contrast to previous HHS head Tom Price, who cited a preference for voluntary programs as the reason for abandoning mandatory hip fracture and cardiac bundled payment models in November 2017. In addition to revisiting some of the mandatory cardiac models, Azar said the HHS is “actively exploring new and improved episode-based models in other areas, including radiation oncology.” He noted the agency will consider more voluntary models as well.
Prior to last year’s cancellation, MedBen Analytics had already taken the necessary steps to expand our reporting portal, in order to ensure that health systems affected by the initiatives would have access to the same useful insights our current clients receive. And while those models didn’t come to pass them, our portal is designed to seamlessly accommodate future models, regardless of whether they’re mandatory or voluntary.
From the beginning, the mission of MedBen Analytics has been to provide relevant and timely bundled payment data to all providers. And as value-based care progresses, we will continue to give clients the insights they need to improve performance. If you ever have questions about how our services can help your business, please call MedBen President & CEO Kurt Harden at 888-633-2364 or email medbenanalytics@medben.com.