25 results for Post-Acute Care

Post-acute care (PAC) covers a range of health care services after hospitalization, including Long-Term Acute-Care (LTAC) hospitals, Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs), Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), and Home Health (HH) agencies. Historically, health systems had little reason to closely integrate with PAC providers or even examine PAC providers on measures of cost and quality, largely because […]

Salt Lake City, May 1, 2017 – Today, Leavitt Partners released a new white paper, entitled “Post-Acute Care Optimization in a Value-Based Economy: Bridging the Gap Between Hospitals and Home.” The white paper addresses how the move to a value-based payment environment has necessitated that health systems tackle post-acute care spending and care management with […]

Six Characteristics of Successful Post-Acute Care (PAC) Value Networks Between 2001 and 2015 Medicare payments to post-acute care (PAC) providers more than doubled.[1] As such, PAC represents a growing opportunity for value-based entities such as accountable care organizations (ACOs), bundled-payment model participants, and medical groups to create savings in overall spend. Consider that five percent […]

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are financially accountable for the cost and quality outcomes of a population, in many cases, even when services are delivered by a separate health care organization. Because of this, ACOs have a vested interest to coordinate care across the entire care continuum. To influence outcomes beyond their doors, ACOs utilize care coordinators, HIT tools, and form partnerships with […]

Salt Lake City, March 12, 2018 – Strategic provider partnerships are critical for an accountable care organization’s (ACO) economic survival and can add significant value for the consumer. In the March edition of Managed Care Leavitt Partners provides a framework for ACOs to assess individual partners and to determine the types of providers with whom […]

In two original articles published in The American Journal of Accountable Care, the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy and Leavitt Partners examine quality improvements and cost savings in the first four years of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), and suggest opportunities for system-wide improvement. The authors examined outcomes for ACOs over time using the […]

Salt Lake City, June 27, 2017 – Today, Leavitt Partners released a new white paper, entitled “Optimizing the Value of Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) In Value-Based Care: Insights for Hospitals & Health Systems.” The white paper addresses how hospitals and health systems are increasingly relying on post-acute providers to provide high value, low cost care, […]

In an effort to increase care coordination and decrease health care costs across the care continuum, many health systems and hospitals are reconfiguring their relationship with post-acute care (PAC) providers. The momentum for change is driven in part from government-initiated efforts that hold hospitals and health systems responsible for the cost and quality of care delivered beyond the four walls of […]

With CJR beginning last April and BPCI being extended for two more years until 2018, bundled payments have established themselves as CMS options for value-based care programs. Adoption looks to continue upward for future years, though, a potential mass adoption could take place if a favorable, future MACRA decision determines that bundled payments qualify for […]

Leavitt Partners releases “The Coming of Mandatory Bundled Care: The Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Program (CJR),” a whitepaper detailing the new CJR program and the implications it will have on industry stakeholders. Salt Lake City, UT – January 27, 2016 – Leavitt Partners today announced the release of a new whitepaper, “The Coming of […]

On the first day of December, 2014 CMS released a proposed rule to update the Medicare Shared Savings Program, the most prominent of the ACO programs being promulgated by the federal and various state governments. As a team, we devoured the 429-page rule, splitting it up along certain topics like attribution and financial model options; […]

On Thursday, Managed Health Care Associates, Inc. (MHA) released a new white paper on Important Role of Post-Acute Care (PAC) Provider within an ACO. The paper is a collaborative effort between the MHA ACO Network and Leavitt Partners and focuses on the important role of the PAC Provider within an ACO.

A Provider magazine article entitled “Medicare Advantage Marketplace Snapshot Offers Clues to Providers” provides a detailed overview of the Leavitt Partners “Medicare Advantage Premiums Higher in Markets with Concentrated Health Plans” white paper. The article states, “Amid moves by some long term and post-acute care (LT/PAC) providers to expand into health insurance through the marketing of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to residents, a new report by Leavitt Partners offers a glimpse of how the MA marketplace functions, and how the lack of real competition impacts consumers. This insight may give interested providers a deeper view of the opportunities and challenges the increasingly popular MA trade offers.”

A Provider magazine article entitled “Medicare Advantage Marketplace Snapshot Offers Clues to Providers” provides a detailed overview of the Leavitt Partners “Medicare Advantage Premiums Higher in Markets with Concentrated Health Plans” white paper. The article states, “Amid moves by some long term and post-acute care (LT/PAC) providers to expand into health insurance through the marketing of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to residents, a new report by Leavitt Partners offers a glimpse of how the MA marketplace functions, and how the lack of real competition impacts consumers. This insight may give interested providers a deeper view of the opportunities and challenges the increasingly popular MA trade offers.”

A RevCycleIntelligence article entitled “MSSP ACOs Save More By Spending Less on Inpatient, Post-Acute Care” highlights the Leavitt Partners and Duke AJAC “Medicare Accountable Care Spending Patterns: Shifting Expenditures Associated With Savings” piece. The article notes the study’s main findings and quotes the authors’ key takeaways.

On April 1, 2016, the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model program took effect, affecting roughly 800 hospitals across 67 markets.  Prior to the program becoming active, Leavitt Partners published a blog post stating, “Time will tell whether hospitals and providers will succeed with quality improvements and savings generation under this new program.” One […]

Bundle payment models, including the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative (BPCI), are an important part of the episode-based health care value transformation.  However, they are also under increased scrutiny, in part due to strong concerns among some Republicans regarding mandatory models as well as the idea that they do little to curb the volume […]

PAC represents the next frontier of opportunity for the success of ACOs, BPCI Model 2 participants, and CJR hospitals. In fact, of the ACOs which achieved shared savings, most attribute their success to closer PAC care coordination. Hospitals are narrowing networks, wanting to find the best PAC partners possible, and stronger care pathways and coordination are taking place at unprecedented levels.

New research offers recommendations to ACO leaders seeking partnerships with various types of providers.  Salt Lake City, October 11, 2016 – Today, Leavitt Partners released a series of briefs describing the characteristics of high-value providers for accountable care organization (ACO) partnerships. Each brief offers provider-specific assessment considerations, as well as a table of high-value characteristics […]

With the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) program starting April 1, approximately 800 hospitals in 67 locations will be entering a mandatory bundled payments program, testing their competency against risk-based payment and hoping to achieve savings. Many wonder how these hospitals will perform under CJR for bundled payment joint replacement surgeries, as it will […]

Last week CMS finalized rules for the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) bundle, which goes into effect April 1, 2016 and makes certain hospitals financially at risk for the entire episode of care of a Lower Extremity Joint Replacement (LEJR) patient. Leavitt Partners previously issued a policy brief on the initiative. I believe this […]

The CMS ACO programs have been the subject of much debate and analysis among those who monitor and evaluate health care payment and delivery reform efforts. Much of the focus of this debate has been on evaluating the cost and quality metrics that have resulted from the Pioneer and MSSP models deployed by CMS. Some […]

Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) are a vital part of the U.S. health care system.  They train doctors, find new treatments and cures, and in many cases, care for the sickest and most complex patients at their facilities. AMCs also provide important community services, and are critical to America’s safety net. AMCs in today’s world of […]

By Melissa Porter & Shawn Matheson. On July 25, 2016, CMS announced a proposed rule to provide additional incentives for hospitals to provide higher quality care at a lower cost. The proposed rule seeks to increase coordination of care and decrease costs for heart attack and bypass surgery patients, creates a new Surgical Hip/Femur Fracture Treatment […]

Payers are increasingly focused on readmission rates and holding hospitals accountable through the use of financial penalties.