Eight governors recommended Congress pursue payment innovation and a commitment to value-based care in proposed federal healthcare reforms.
In a bipartisan Aug. 30 letter to Democrat and Republican lawmakers, the governors outlined various proposals to direct reforms toward advancing value-based care.
Here are three recommendations from the governors.
1. "Control cost through payment innovation." The governors called on Congress to commit to value-based care purchasing. They wrote Medicare and other federal programs should be allowed to participate in multipayer state innovation models.
2. "Align priorities for value-based purchasing across all federal agencies." This includes, among others: HHS, CMS, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, CDC, Veterans Affairs and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The governors added CMS Innovation Center should fund the payment innovation projects, which should be expanded to more states.
3. "New tools should be developed to provide consumers with better information about how much health services cost or which providers offer the best quality of care." Governors said the federal government should promote consumer-facing websites and apps in collaboration with states allowing consumers to shop for high-quality, low-cost services.
To view the full letter, click here.
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