Over the past three years, Continuum Health Group has shaped, developed, and supported Advocates for Community Health’s (ACH) value-based care (VBC) priorities, principles, and convenings. Continuum is proud to facilitate these discussions around VBC and value-based payment (VBP) to enhance understanding, foster collaboration, and catalyze actionable solutions among ACH members. This includes bi-monthly meetings with ACH’s VBC working group members, which includes Community Health Center (CHC) senior staff.
The working group is charged with leading the way to equitable, holistic care for the underserved as the nation’s health system shifts to a more affordable, efficient, and patient-centered system. The Working Group considers the following principles of VBC for health centers: 1) the types, structure, and financial methodology of risk arrangements and incentives available; 2) provider participation requirements; 3) patient attribution methodology; 4) quality metrics; 5) data requirements; 5) required capacity building to implement the new arrangements; 6) general compliance needs; and most importantly 7) risk adjustment and/or other health equity levers. The working group provides ACH staff guidance and feedback on VBC policies and engagement activities. Additionally, the Working Group shares VBC best practices and hears from experts in the field.
For the working group’s July meeting, Continuum identified a group of experts from the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) to present their recent brief titled Building a Health Equity Focus into Value-Based Payment Design: Approaches for Medicaid Payers. These experts’ partner with numerous stakeholders— including Medicaid state and federal agencies, managed care plans, providers, community-based organizations and consumers — to promote innovations in health care delivery where they are needed most.
CHCS speakers discussed how payers can embed a health equity focus into key decision points in payment model design. They reviewed six key strategies including: 1) engaging community members in model design 2) embedding health equity in model requirements, 3) creating performance-based payments for reducing health disparities, 4) prioritizing safety net provider participation, 5) collaborating with plans and providers to create a data strategy, and 6) exploring adjusting for social risk factors.
During the convening, ACH Working Group members shared experiences and insights working with State Medicaid Agencies, payers, and community members to incorporate health equity into their VBC plans and payment strategies.
Continuum is excited to continue to leverage our subject matter expertise and extensive network to drive meaningful dialogue and innovation among CHC leaders across the U.S.
