North Charlotte Today

Senator Thom Tillis and his colleagues have introduced bipartisan legislation called the Value in Health Care Act, aimed at incentivizing better health care at lower costs. The legislation focuses on updating the program parameters of Medicare’s Alternative Payment Models (APMs) to encourage participation in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).

ACOs are value-based health programs designed to improve the quality of care and health outcomes for seniors while lowering costs. The Value in Health Care Act aims to increase participation in these programs by financially rewarding coordination of care and patient outcomes, rather than the number of services provided.

Senator Tillis stated, "Value-based care programs have a successful track record of improving outcomes and reducing costs. The Value in Health Care Act will take an important step to further incentivize participation in these programs by financially rewarding coordination of care and patient outcomes, rather than the number of services provided. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation that will increase access to higher quality, lower cost, patient-centered care for the nearly two million seniors in North Carolina."

The Value in Health Care Act proposes several changes to the APM and ACO parameters. These changes include incentivizing participation in Advanced APMs, correcting arbitrary thresholds for Advanced APM qualification, establishing guardrails for CMS to ensure transparency and prevent arbitrary winners and losers, removing barriers to ACO participation, supporting fair and accurate benchmarks, and providing greater technical support to ACO participants.

Several healthcare organizations have expressed their support for the legislation. Dr. Eileen M. Raynor, President of the North Carolina Medical Society, stated, "The North Carolina Medical Society applauds Senator Tillis' introduction of the Value in Health Care Act in the Senate. Advancement of value-based care is a priority of the Medical Society, and we are supportive of state and federal efforts that will expand participation in Alternate Payment Models among all physician specialties and help meet the needs of our state’s Medicare patients."

Steve Lawler, President and CEO of the North Carolina Healthcare Association, emphasized the importance of value-based care and expressed gratitude to Senator Tillis for his leadership and support. He said, "Value-based care is best designed and delivered by the healthcare community. When incentives are properly aligned, and patients get the right care at the right time, it costs less, and all involved benefit. This bill takes a step forward."

Duke Connected Care, an organization that has delivered high-quality, coordinated care for Medicare beneficiaries in central North Carolina, also voiced its support for the legislation. Dr. Craig T. Albanese, CEO of Duke University Health System, said, "Duke Connected Care applauds Senator Tillis' introduction of the Value in Health Care Act, which includes incentives to continue the transformational work of improving health care for so many North Carolinians."

Dr. Gary Stuck, Chief Medical Officer of Advocate Health, highlighted the positive impact of value-based care models and expressed gratitude to Senator Tillis and other senators involved in introducing the legislation. He stated, "We're grateful for the innovative programs that foster and encourage value-based care models and help push providers like us and the industry at large in that direction. We greatly appreciate Senators Tillis, Whitehouse, Barrasso, Welch, Cassidy, Thune, and Backburn for introducing the Value in Health Care Act."

The Value in Health Care Act has also received endorsements from major healthcare organizations, including the American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, and the Association of American Medical Colleges, among others.

In conclusion, the Value in Health Care Act introduced by Senator Thom Tillis and his colleagues aims to incentivize better health care at lower costs by updating the parameters of Medicare's Alternative Payment Models. The legislation focuses on increasing participation in Accountable Care Organizations and financially rewarding coordination of care and patient outcomes. The bill has received support from various healthcare organizations and has the potential to improve the quality of care and lower costs for seniors.

Click this link to access more information: https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2023/12/tillis-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-incentivize-better-health-care-at-lower-costs