CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 13, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly 60 percent of the health system members that attended the national summit for Premier, Inc. 's (Nasdaq: PINC ) population health collaborative plan to tie at least half their reimbursement to risk-based programs such as bundled payment, shared savings or global payment by 2018 ( Figure 1 ).
Premier's PACT™ Population Health Collaborative united 44 of its 60 health system members at its annual national summit, held March 30-April 1 in Washington, D.C., to share strategies and experiences for improving population health. During the meeting, attendees responded to an electronic poll assessing their current and future population health management plans.
PACT members, which represent thousands of clinicians and more than 350 hospitals, are working together to measure and improve health in their communities. Members are focused on connecting the different elements that affect care delivery, including measurably enhancing quality and patient experience, lowering costs, integrating care across the continuum, increasing health system-physician alignment, designing and implementing new value-based payment models, and managing and improving population health.
"The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a goal of moving at least 50 percent of payment away from fee-for-service in favor of risk-based programs by 2018," said Joe Damore, vice president of population health management, Premier. "These member responses both support and validate the HHS goal, and demonstrate that a majority of PACT members are prepared to lead the way toward meeting that aggressive deadline."
"As new care models are becoming commonplace, it's crucial to work closely with innovative, like-minded peers," said Russ Mohawk, a PACT member, and president and CEO of Inova Health Plans and Population Health Services. "Collaborating with PACT members, we're sharing our learning and experiences from the different population health models that exist to improve community health, replicating what is working and avoiding potential pitfalls."
To take advantage of new risk-based payment programs, many PACT members are organizing accountable care organizations (ACOs), which a majority (65 percent) of attendees said was in response to public policies driving providers toward population health management. Provider drive for change and payers/employers seeking new partnerships and lower costs ranked much lower, as each was cited by just 18 percent of respondents.
PACT members are also choosing to learn about population health management through the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), with 46 percent opting to participate because it provides them with the best opportunity to capture cost savings as a result of quality improvement. Just over 21 percent of health systems said the MSSP represented an effective means of engaging physicians in care coordination activities ( Figure 2 ).
The PACT collaborative provides the opportunity for leading health systems to work together, share insights and learn from each other about core capabilities. Members have published their experiences in developing successful population health models in three whitepapers with The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that aims to promote a high performing healthcare system. PACT also provides population health data management analytics, benchmarking services and dedicated experts to support collaborative participation and provide implementation assistance.
PACT is one of Premier's six performance improvement collaboratives in which approximately 1,100 hospitals participate. Premier collaborative members anticipate and prepare for the future of healthcare by focusing on improving quality management, cost and safety, as well as creating new care models to transform healthcare and create healthier communities.
About Premier, Inc.
Premier, Inc. (Nasdaq: PINC ) is a leading healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of approximately 3,400 U.S. hospitals and 110,000 other providers to transform healthcare. With integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain solutions, and advisory and other services, Premier enables better care and outcomes at a lower cost. Premier, a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient, plays a critical role in the rapidly evolving healthcare industry, collaborating with members to co-develop long-term innovations that reinvent and improve the way care is delivered to patients nationwide. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Premier is passionate about transforming American healthcare. Please visit Premier's news and investor sites on www.premierinc.com ; as well as Twitter , Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube , Instagram , Foursquare and Premier's blog for more information about the company.
CONTACT: Morgan Bridges-Guthrie, Premier, Inc.; Morgan_Bridges@PremierInc.com ; 704.816.4152
