Bundled payments are a top-of-mind issue for many ASC leaders. Here's what three experts had to say about them:
1. Theresa Hush, CEO of Roji Health Intelligence:
"The movement to bundled payments for outpatient surgery is slow, however. There is little data outside Medicare that shows the extent of adoption of bundled payments, and the Medicare bundled payments initiative is totally voluntary, with just over 1,000 conveners. Restriction of BPCI conveners to be hospitals, physician groups and ACOs, excluding ASCs, will effectively slow the adoption of risk-contracting strategies since they can't attain the experience necessary to succeed."
2. Daniel Murrey, MD, chief medical officer for Surgical Care Affiliates:
"It's just going to be a matter of time for bundles to evolve to cover a broader array of procedures to get beyond where we are now, which is largely focused on orthopedics. I think as this evolves, we're likely to see procedures paid for more and more in bundled arrangements, including for those who manage chronic disease, like primary care, or specialists who have longitudinal relationships with patients."
3. Joe Smith, MD, PhD, and CEO of Reflexion Health:
"If you participate in bundled payment programs, you participate in the financial upside, but you also participate in the financial downside. The greatest protection from that risk is being efficient and running a high quality organization. There's plenty of data that shows that quality and costs can go together."