By Gregg A. Masters, MPH
Leveraging up from the Integrated Healthcare Association’s (IHA) work (and others) in the bundled payment domain, @Aetna announced yesterday that in association with partner health information technology vendor @McKesson_HIT, their work with Hoag Orthopedic Hospital (aka @HoagOrthopedic) in Newport Beach, California.
Bundled payment a child of the DRG payment system and long employed in service of managed care contracts for select high cost services including cardiovascular and orthopedic surgeries, holds promise to reduce costs, while promoting quality, patient safety and integrated care. Perhaps one of the least controversial elements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, an expanded bundled payment model is clearly in service of the Triple Aim (better care, better health, lower cost).
Per IHA:
according to one estimate [the bundled payment model], could reduce U.S. health expenditures as much as $300 billion between 2010 and 2020
For the complete announcement, click here.
