Policy experts propose new payment schemes

Policy experts meeting at a Mayo Clinic-sponsored forum are recommending some significant changes to health plan reimbursement practices which they say could improve care and reduce costs. The experts, who met this week at Dartmouth, are suggesting that plans institute shared decision making programs for major elective surgery, in which medical centers are awarded bonuses for involving patients effectively. Another of their proposals is to develop a model for a single "chronic condition coordination" payment, under which providers would get a single payment covering all routine care and minor acute episodes and patients would get all care from a single medical home. They're also recommending that health plans offer a "mini-capitation" payment shared by both hospitals and physicians for major acute care episodes. The idea behind all of these proposals is to give providers strong incentives to work more effectively with each other and with patients, as well as to pay providers based on value.

To find out more about the proposals:
- read this executive summary from the Mayo Clinic

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