Sustained Value-Based Care Programs Key to Quality Improvements for High-Need Patients

​Primary care practices (PCPs) that participate in a multi-year, pay-for-value program saw lower odds of high-needs patient readmissions and emergency department visits and overall higher quality of care, according to a study published in the December 2016 issue of the American Journal of Managed Care. Results suggest that national policy efforts for PCPs to continually participate in value-based care programs are likely to achieve some intended outcomes, but without a shift in overall medical-surgical costs, they may not be enough to provide substantially higher value care. The study consisted of 17,443 high-needs patients with two conditions or more at 1,582 practices that both did and did not continuously participate in an insurance carrier's value-based program between 2010 and 2013.