- Saint Luke's and UnitedHealthcare partner for an ACO. Saint Luke's Health System and UnitedHealthcare are collaborating on an ACO that aims to curb unnecessary testing and ED visits for individuals enrolled in UnitedHealthcare's employer-based insurance plans. Under the program, Saint Luke's and UnitedHealthcare will share health data on ED visits and hospital admissions. In addition, the organizations will allocate more resources toward coordinating care and might employ patient navigators to support community-based coordination.
- Changes to CPC+ demonstration could reduce interest. In a document released Friday, CMS said it will modify round 2 of its Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model, which is set to launched January 2018, to better assess how the program's incentive payments are affecting care. Primary care providers participating in the current round, which launched in January, receive payments such as monthly care-management fees and performance incentives. CMS said that next year it will randomly assign some providers into two groups, one that receives the incentive payments and one that does not. Providers need to apply by April 3, but the Medical Group Management Association and others say the program changes could discourage some providers from applying.
- CMS announces $100M in funding to help providers comply with MACRA. CMS on Friday announced that it will allocate up to $100 million in grants over five years to help small health care provider practices prepare for the Quality Payment Program (QPP) created under MACRA. CMS said the first round of funding, about $20 million, was awarded to 11 community-based organizations to help small practices comply with QPP. The organizations will provide training and education about QPP to providers in individual or small group practices with 15 or fewer clinicians.
- Building the medical neighborhood. In order to build a successful medical neighborhood, you'll need to formalize collaboration expectations between primary and specialty care providers. Join Advisory Board Senior Consultant Rebecca Tyrrell on Wednesday, May 24, to get an overview of the medical neighborhood model, five tactics for enhancing coordination within the neighborhood, and case studies that illustrate these tactics in action.
From Advisory Board:
- How to effectively identify and manage patients with a history of multiple readmissions. Join Advisory Board's Emily Roberson for a webconference on Friday, March 17, to learn how to identify these patients and what you can do to ensure treatment is being administered in the right setting.
- 2 smart ways to use data to prove your population health work's value. In today's environment, proving the worth of your population health work isn't a luxury—it's a necessity. Learn how North American Partners in Anesthesia of the Hudson Valley and Columbia Memorial Health used data effectively to realize value and secure growth.