Op-Ed

Challenges in Moving from Volume to Value

In Morning Consult, AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin penned an op-ed with Ken Thorpe of Emory University about the barriers to moving the U.S. health care system toward value-based payment models and away from volume-focused fee-for-service. An excerpt:

Despite the fact that the idea of “volume to value” has been around for a decade or more, it is not yet the norm. That means too many patients are not getting the care they need, and our health care system has become too expensive.

To be sure, over the past decade, the government has taken steps to encourage, suggest and test ideas to help the system move from volume to value. The private sector has done its part, using outcome-based pay for doctors and hospitals at a rate far higher than just a few years ago…

One of the biggest obstacles has been policies that push in the other direction — namely the Stark and anti-kickback laws.

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