Ascension, along with other healthcare systems and payers that are part of the Health Care Transformation Task Force, is dedicated to helping accelerate the transformation to value-based care. Task Force members last year pledged to put 75 percent of their business into value-based arrangements that focus on better health, better care and lower costs by 2020.
At the recent 4th Annual Network and Contract Management Summit in Washington, D.C., Jordan Asher, MD, Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Innovation Officer, MissionPoint Health Partners, a population health care management subsidiary of Ascension, made the point that negotiating a value-based contract must align with an organization's overall mission.
During the panel "Contracting Approaches and Operationalizing a Value-Based Payment Arrangement," Dr. Asher addressed two important questions. First, how does a health system make sure its contracts with payers support the overall aim of the value the system is trying to create? And second, how does a system make sure its arrangements with physicians, contractors and suppliers reflect the same focus on value rather than volume?
"It's important that the contract speaks to the greater good and the value Ascension is trying to create," Dr. Asher said. "The thought and decision-making process should come back to, how is this arrangement contributing to the greater good of our Mission and value-based models?"
The session, which attracted attendees from health plans, health systems, hospitals and provider groups, offered insight on how to foster collaborative relationships beyond deal-making about rates to encourage patients to engage with primary care physicians around preventive measures that close gaps in care. The panel included representatives from UnitedHealthcare and Stanford University/UCLA and was moderated by the Health Care Transformation Task Force. The summit was part of the 13th Annual World Health Care Congress, a gathering of decision makers from all sectors of healthcare to catalyze meaningful partnerships and change.
