CardioSource WorldNews | Page 50
BUSINESS CONSULT
“If you’re treating
the Medicare
population and
you’re in one of
the prospective
MSAs that CMS
identified, your
hospital could be
chosen.”
managed and minimized.
Improving communication between the ER
and the surgeons, physicia ns, and clinical team
members who are going to be taking care of these
patients is essential — again, care coordination.
Organizations also need to gather and review
data – internal data, system data, national benchmark data. Quantifying volume or the number of
cases, which physicians are participating in the
patient’s care, and what are the biggest drivers
of cost in an episode. Organizations can use data
to identify and eliminate variation wherever
it’s clinically unwarranted, or conduct an initial
evaluation to identify avoidable readmissions.
Who stands to benefit from these new bundles,
and from bundles more generally?
Despite the seemingly chaotic reimbursement
environment, bundled payments are a safe bet.
Bundles truly represent one of the few reimbursement approaches today through which all
stakeholders can benefit. The ultimate goal of
this initiative is to standardize patient care, improve outcomes, and enhance the quality of care
delivered to Medicare beneficiaries, as well as all
patients. Certainly, patients benefit by having access to standardized, evidence-based care. If hospitals are willing to do the hard work associated
with bundles, they stand to benefit financially by
lowering their costs. The physicians or surgeons
involved in the patient’s care can also see financial benefits from the gain-sharing waivers that
are put in place as part of these programs. And of
course, Medicare has already experienced significant savings as a result of the bundled programs
that are in place today.
What other insights can you share with
cardiologists?
If you’re treating the Medicare population and
you’re in one of the prospective MSAs that CMS
identified, your hospital could be chosen. You absolutely need to be paying attention to this development and, at the very least, take a look at your
historical costs. Don’t wait to see if your hospital
is named – assume it will be. Organizations that
want to succeed will be engaged in the process
and proactively manage the potential for risk. ■
The ACC is reviewing the proposal
and will submit comments later
this month. Read more in the news
story on ACC.org, or scan the
code.
For questions or want more information on bundled
payments, contact Dr. Baggot at [email protected] or
Tori at [email protected].
ACC’s Clinical
App Collection
Use these apps “on
the go” to improve
clinical knowledge and
optimize patient care.
To find the app you
need, search by name
in your app store, or
visit ACC.org/Apps.
©2016 American College of Cardiology B15299
48 CardioSource WorldNews
CardioSmart Explorer
Statin Intolerance
TAVR In-hospital
Mortality Risk
FOCUS Imaging
AnticoagEvaluator
ACC Guidelines
ASCVD Risk Estimator
Month 2016