Liao JM, Emanuel EJ, Whittington GL, Small DS, Troxel AB, Zhu J, Zhong W, Navathe AS.
American Journal of Managed Care, June 2018.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: To describe the extent of and longitudinal changes in physician practice variation with respect to implant costs, institutional postacute care (PAC) provider utilization, and total episode payments, as well as to evaluate the association between physician volume and quality and these outcomes.
Study Design: Observational study.
Methods: We combined claims and internal hospital cost data for 34 physicians responsible for 3614 joint replacement episodes under bundled payment at Baptist Health System (BHS). Multilevel multivariable generalized linear models were employed and the intraclass correlation (ICC) was used to quantify between-physician variation.
Results: There was significant between-physician variation in implant costs, institutional PAC provider utilization, and total episode payments not explained by observable variables (P <.001 for all). Over 5 years, the ICC decreased from 0.26 to 0.06, 0.15 to 0.13, and 0.12 to 0.10 for implant costs, institutional PAC provider utilization, and total episode payments, respectively, but differences were not statistically significant. Both higher physician case volume and quality were associated with decreased total episode payments and institutional PAC provider utilization, but not with changes in implant costs.
Conclusions: Considerable physician practice variation was observed under bundled payment at BHS and decreased to a greater degree for implant costs than institutional PAC provider utilization or total episode payments. Institutional PAC provider utilization and total episode payments were associated with physician volume and quality. Although some organizational strategies achieve gains by reducing physician practice variation, variation reduction is not an absolute requisite for success under bundled payment.
Navathe AS, Liao JM, Polsky D, Shah Y, Huang Q, Zhu J, Lyon ZM, Wang R, Rolnick J, Martinez JR, Emanuel EJ.
Health Affairs June 2018.
We analyzed data from Medicare and the American Hospital Association Annual Survey to compare characteristics and baseline performance among hospitals in Medicare’s voluntary (Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative, or BPCI) and mandatory (Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model, or CJR) joint replacement bundled payment programs. BPCI hospitals had higher mean patient volume and were larger and more teaching intensive than were CJR hospitals, but the two groups had similar risk exposure and baseline episode quality and cost. BPCI hospitals also had higher cost attributable to institutional postacute care, largely driven by inpatient rehabilitation facility cost. These findings suggest that while both voluntary and mandatory approaches can play a role in engaging hospitals in bundled payment, mandatory programs can produce more robust, generalizable evidence. Either mandatory or additional targeted voluntary programs may be required to engage more hospitals in bundled payment programs.
Song Z, Navathe AS, Emanuel EJ, Volpp KG.
American Journal of Managed Care, March 2018.
ABSTRACT:
The United States is simultaneously moving toward value-based payments for populations and precision medicine for individuals. During this evolution, innovations in payment and delivery that enhance tailoring of treatments to individuals while improving the value of care are needed. We propose one such innovation that would allow physician payment and patient cost sharing to better reflect the value of care by allowing the appropriateness of a service for a given patient in a given clinical situation to play a more meaningful role in the design of such incentives. We introduce the idea of a payment modifier, based on indication and appropriateness, and discuss its advantages and challenges to implementation.
Navathe AS, Liao JM, Shah Y, Lyon Z, Chatterjee P, Polsky D, Emanuel EJ.
JAMA, March 2018.
Emanuel EJ, Glickman A, Johnson D.
JAMA, November 2017
This Viewpoint proposes a new Affordability Index measure, the ratio of the mean cost of an employer-sponsored family health insurance policy divided by median household income, to describe US families’ ability to pay for health care.
This Viewpoint discusses bundled payment models and suggests ways in which the next generation of episode-based payments can better align with population health.
Abstract:
We should aim at improving the care of dying patients
Modern debates about legalising euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in Great Britain and the United States began in the late 19th century.1Legislation was periodically proposed only to be defeated until, in 1942, Switzerland decriminalised assistance in suicide for cases when there were no “selfish motives”.2 In 2002, euthanasia was legalised in the Netherlands and Belgium, then in Luxembourg in 2009, and most recently, in 2015 in Colombia and in 2016 in Canada.3 PAS, but not euthanasia, has been legalised in five US states. In Oregon, PAS was legalised by popular referendum in 1997. In addition, in 2009, Washington State legalised PAS by referendum and Montana by court ruling; Vermont in 2013 and California in 2015 also legalised PAS by legislation.4