For many months I’ve been talking about the array of health transformation initiatives the Department of Health and Human Services has been deploying as both demonstrations and programmatic changes.  I’ve been characterizing this strategy to create more accountability as an evolving menu, buffet, or map – sort of like those magical Harry Potter maps where the lines keep appearing on the parchment to create a recognizable image.

As part of releasing the final rules for the Medicare Shared Savings Program, HHS also put forth a document subtitled “Menu of Options for Improving Care,” which is a list of some of the landmarks in the future map of an Era of Accountable Care. This document listed “options for healthcare providers of all sizes, types, all across the country” to work together to coordinate patient care, improve quality and lower costs. Besides the Medicare Shared Savings Program for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), these options include:

• Partnership for Patients ($1B over 3 years)
• Bundled Payments for Care Improvements (4 models proposed and 4 more planned)
• Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative (Medicare partnering with Medicaid and private payers in 5-7 local markets to support primary care improvement)
• FQHC Advanced Primary Care Practice Demonstration (with HRSA)
• Advanced Payment Accountable Care Organization Model (pre-funding for physician groups wanting to form ACOs for the Shared Savings Program)
• Pioneer Accountable Care Organization Model (demonstration program for advanced ACOs)
• Financial Models to Support State Efforts to Integrate Care for Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees

The Menu document clearly indicates a coherent strategy for doing what the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission recently recommended: “Medicare payments should strongly encourage providers to move towards [ACOs, bundled payments, capitated models, shared savings programs] and make FFS less attractive.”

HSS’ Menu document is an initial description of the map HHS is drawing for providers about these more attractive options.  In contrast, in all the debate about health reform and Medicare there has been very little discussion about the future of Fee-for-Service payments or how to make FFS more sustainable –  except for the $300B budgetary hole and pending 30% fee reduction in  Medicare’s physician payment system’s Sustainable Growth Rate formula.  However, making “FFS less attractive” is certainly one of the transformational “sticks” Medicare has been wielding based upon provisions in the Accountable Care Act* and through other Medicare initiatives such as Value Based Purchasing, not paying for Never Events, and using Competitive Bidding for certain products and services.  And the future will see more and expanded use of these types of initiatives to “make FFS less attractive.”

CMS Has Already Been Transformed

Another significant distinction between HHS’ current actions and what they have traditionally done is that HHS is not moving forward alone by modifying Medicare and Medicaid.  Instead they are actively seeking to work in alignment – if not outright partnership – with private payers.  This is clearly stated in the CPCI and the Multi-payer Advanced Primary Care Initiative, which has already started in 8 states.

I have previously written about Accountable Care, (and how it is fundamental for successful health reform), and with the unveiling of the menu from HHS I am encouraged that we are on the way to an Era of Accountable Care – because that is what people really want and society needs, i.e. Accountability for Clinical Outcomes and Accountability for Economic Results.  It is only through those two avenues of accountability that we will achieve my version of the 3-Part Aim:

1. Saving Lives
2. Cutting Costs
3. Creating Jobs

Health Reform is Essential for Creating Jobs

“Creating Jobs” doesn’t usually appear in lists about the goals for health reform, but it is really a fundamental reason for fixing our fractured healthcare system: By reducing the financial bite healthcare is putting on families and companies – as well as creating security for access to health insurance for individuals – health reform will pour capital and confidence into the economy leading to the creation of jobs.  That will be an era of healthcare that we can all count on.

——————————
* The given name for the health reform legislation is the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” and it is often referred to as the Affordable Care Act or the ACA.  However, I believe the transformational components of the ACA are its features that will create accountability for the clinical and economic outcomes our healthcare system produces, and thus I call it the Accountable Care Act.  In the context where others are referring to this law as Obamacare, or as a government take-over of the US healthcare system, or portrayed voluntary counseling as death panels, then I am very comfortable nick-naming the ACA the Accountable Care Act.