Burwell to hospitals: Your partnership key to better quality, value

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell today called on hospital leaders to work with her department on Medicare payment reforms that are linked to better quality and value. “You can send no stronger message on the value of payment reform than to set your own targets,” Burwell said. “We need your support, ideas and innovations.” The secretary cited HHS’s effort to ramp up Medicare payment reforms featuring alternative payment models and value-based payments. “To make health care work for everyone we need smarter systems delivering better care that spends dollars more wisely and keeps people healthier,” she said. As an example, she announced that pioneer accountable care organizations saved the Medicare program more than $384 million in their first two years and will expand. Those savings, compared to beneficiaries in traditional fee-for-service, translated to an average of $300 per Medicare beneficiary per year. Burwell said blending value-based care delivery with value-based payment builds on the expansion of health care coverage and push for quality improvement provided under the Affordable Care Act. She noted that 16.4 million more Americans are insured since the ACA was enacted, and the nation has seen the slowest growth ever in per-capita spending on health care. “Your partnership is key to our success,” she said.