Value-based payment models moving forward

Editor's Note

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) and other value-based payment (VBP) models are increasing in the US, and there is no longer any question of whether private payers and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will continue to support value-based payments, according to the August 14 Health Affairs Blog.

About 10% of the US population is now covered by ACOs, which represents an increase of about 2 million people, compared to last year. All states have more than 2% of their population covered by ACO contracts, and some have much more.

Though bundled payment models have either remained the same or slightly declined, the decline may be temporary because on January 9, 2018, CMS announced the administration’s first new alternative payment model demonstration: Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced, which builds on the ongoing BPCI, the authors say.