After much anticipation and an outpouring of feedback on the proposed rule released last March, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its final rule on the Accountable Care Medicare Shared Savings Program late last week. This program was created by one of a few key delivery system reform provisions in the health care reform law, to better align financial incentives in Fee-For-Service Medicare to strive for cost savings while protecting and improving quality of care. Provider groups had many concerns with the proposed rule, largely stemming from the lack of flexibility in initial funding that is required to develop a new ACO model and keep it running. The general analysis was that the potential upside offered through the program would not be sufficient to support the development of ACOs in the Medicare Fee-For-Service market – and the potential downside risk too great. Continue reading ‘HHS Releases Final ACO Rules’
Archive for the 'Accountable Care Organization' Category
Group Health and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) are finalizing a new affiliation that will broaden treatment options for our medical oncology patients served at Bellevue, Olympia, Seattle and Tacoma medical centers.
SCCA is a world-class cancer treatment center that unites doctors from Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, University of Washington Medicine, and Seattle Children’s. It invites affiliates that meet its high standards as a clinical partner. Continue reading ‘New cancer care affiliation broadens treatment options’
It’s great to see this piece on Scott Armstrong, Group Health President and CEO, being interviewed by Bara Vaida with Kaiser Health News. This was taped prior to the House of Representatives’ vote to repeal the health law. He talks about shared decision making, accountable care organizations and more. Check out the interview. Continue reading ‘How Group Health Is Holding Costs Down: A KHN Interview With CEO Scott Armstrong’
Dr. Harold Dash, President of the Board for The Everett Clinic, and I presented at The State of Reform conference on January 5 on the topic of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) — or as we presented being accountable for the care of patients in ways that increase the quality care and is more affordable.
Much discussion at the conference at SeaTac focused on tough challenges posed by steep state budget cuts that will hit critical health programs as well as the rising cost of medical care. So there was a lot of interest in the topic of ACOs, which have been held out as one of the few elements of reform aimed at improving care and bringing down costs. Continue reading ‘ACOs could spread cost saving innovations’
The Washington State Health Care Authority has chosen Group Health Cooperative to lead pilot projects to improve health care quality for Washingtonians. Group Health will lead an effort to bring a variety of health care providers from primary care doctors and physical therapists to surgeons and hospitals into an organized group that is collectively responsible for the health of each patient. This model of integrated care is one that has guided Group Health since its founding in 1947. Continue reading ‘Group Health to lead state health care reform pilots’
You’re a patient getting care from a Group Health physician in a Group Health facility. All of the conditions are right for an evidence-based, medically appropriate, smooth and integrated experience. Our care model, our people, our technologies and incentives make it possible.
But here’s the reality: we don’t own all of the buildings where our members receive care. We rely on thousands of contracted medical providers in dozens of non-Group Health facilities. Two-thirds of our clinical costs are incurred outside our own walls and in many cases care is provided by non-Group Health staff. And I believe in the future we’re going to have to look outside our own walls even more.
Recently, over 100 physicians and delivery system leaders from around the Northwest gathered at the Sheraton Hotel in Seattle to attend the Spring meeting of the American Medical Group Association (AMGA). Members represent leading medical groups and health systems in Washington and Oregon. Hosted by Group Health Permanente, the theme of the meeting was “learning from the best” and focused on creating high-performing care organizations. Attendees heard speakers from Group Health, The Everett Clinic, Virginia Mason and Northwest Physician Network describe their respective journeys toward creating accountable care organizations (ACOs). ACOs are new models of care that Congress is actively promoting as the answer to the overly expensive and disorganized system that is presently common in our country.
Continue reading ‘ACOs discussed at national forum hosted by Group Health’
As you’ve probably noticed, the debates that led to federal health reform are far less public, and the work to implement change is in high gear.
Most attention is on near-term changes to health insurance—with work being done to extend the age that adult children are covered under their parent’s health plan, end coverage denials for children with pre-existing conditions, and eliminate cost sharing for preventive care.
While these are important improvements, very little is focused yet on how health care services are provided. As we at Group Health already know, that’s where the most important changes will need to take place.
Continue reading ‘Quality of our patients' experiences should be the focus of reform’
I was honored to be in DC last week representing Group Health at a meeting hosted by Don Berwick, president of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and nominee to lead the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Elliot Fisher, Chair of the Dartmouth Atlas Project, and Atul Gawande, noted author and contributor to The New Yorker magazine (including the seminal article on McAllen, Texas).
If there’s such a thing as rock stars in our world of affordable excellence, these three are them.
This Friday (June 4) Group Health Permanente is pleased to host the American Medical Group Association’s (AMGA) Northwest Region meeting, one of a series of regional meetings being held in 2010 on groundbreaking delivery system reforms.
Group Health Permanente Executive Vice President Marc West and Executive Medical Director, Health Plan Division, Brenda Bruns, MD will share Group Health’s journey to becoming an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) with similar medical groups who are coming together to share best practices.
The program is designed to educate medical group leaders on how to develop, operate, and maintain high-performing ACOs. They focus on physician-led, patient-centered ACOs and bring together actual case studies presented by the medical group leaders with firsthand experience in providing accountable care to their patients.
Group Health is excited to welcome AMGA to Seattle. We have a new landscape since the passage of health care reform, and we’re eager to realize the gains the law aims to provide. We look forward to enthusiastic discussion and information sharing with some of our nation’s largest and most prestigious integrated health care delivery systems about how we can deliver and finance health care more efficiently and effectively for future generations.
For more information, visit the American Medical Group Association.
by Stephen Tarnoff, MD, Associate Medical Director, Group Health Permanente / Group Health Cooperative
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