Accountable Care Organizations Research Articles

Medicare Transitional Care Management Service Association with Readmissions and Mortality

Abstract In 2013 CMS introduced codes to reimburse outpatient providers for post-discharge Transitional Care Management (TCM). Understanding the implications of TCM reimbursement on outcomes is crucial for evaluating CMS’s investment and guiding future policy. We analyzed the association between physician organization (PO) TCM code use and post-discharge readmissions and mortality using 100% fee-for-service Medicare claims. Employing a difference-in-differences approach we compared 1131 “high-TCM” POs (top quartile of TCM code use from 2015-2017) to 1133 “low-TCM” POs (bottom quartile) from before (2012) and after (2015-2017) TCM code implementation, controlling for PO and beneficiary attributes and readmission risk. TCM code use was associated with decreased 30- and 90-day readmissions [-0.31 (95%CI -0.52, -0.09) and -0.42 (95%CI -0.71, -0.14) percentage points, respectively], but no significant difference in mortality. Year-by-year, 2017 saw greatest readmission reduction, with a slight mortality reduction in that year only. Readmission reductions were greatest in POs not affiliated with health systems, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), or academic medical centers, and least in those with fewer primary care physicians. Narrow, indirect interventions like fee-for-service TCM billing code reimbursement may have limited potential to improve post-discharge outcomes overall. However, small independent practices may derive somewhat greater benefit from this support for post-discharge care.

8118 Effect of Rurality on Diabetes Technology Use Among Medicaid-Insured Youth Enrolled in a Mid-Western Accountable Care Organization

Abstract Disclosure: E.E. Bell-Sambataro: None. J. Kilbarger: None. A. Lahoti: None. J.M. Ladd: None. Background: Diabetes technology (continuous glucose monitors (CGM) and insulin pumps), is associated with improved glycemic control and quality of life in children with type 1 diabetes (T1D), but technology use is not equitable. We explored whether rural/urban disparities exist in CGM and pump use among pediatric patients with T1D enrolled in an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) and thus on Medicaid. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using claims data from the central Ohio ACO database from January 1, 2018 to September 30, 2022. Individuals aged 1 to <21years were identified using T1D-specific billing codes. CGM or pump use was defined using established prescription codes. Rurality was based on zip codes of residence linked to RUCA codes. For descriptive analyses, we calculated proportions, means and standard deviations. T-tests were used to compare continuous variables; chi-square tests were used to compare categorical variables. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to model the association between rurality and CGM or pump use, adjusted for age, sex, race, and era (pre-/post-COVID pandemic). Results: We identified 1079 enrolled individuals with T1D during the study period; 878 (81.4%) were using CGM and 259 (24%) were using insulin pumps. In descriptive analysis, CGM users were younger than non-users (users 11.4±4.4years vs non-users 15.3±3.8years, p<0.01). The distribution of rurality between CGM users and non-users was similar (users 73.5% urban, 26.3% rural vs non-users 66.6% urban, 33.3% rural, p=0.05). There were no age or rurality differences between pump users and non-users (users 12.2±3.8years vs non-users 12.1±4.8years, p=0.86; users 72.6% urban vs non-users 72.1% urban, p=0.92). In regression modeling, rurality was not significantly associated with CGM use (adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89-1.02) whereas age, race, era, and pump use were significantly associated. Rurality was significantly associated with pump use (aRR 0.79, 95% CI 0.63-0.99) as were age, race and era. Conclusions: In this cohort limited to pediatric patients with T1D on Medicaid, rural residence did not have a significant effect on CGM use but did make pump use less likely. Those of older age or non-White race were significantly less likely to use CGM and pumps. Future efforts targeting these disparities should be undertaken to increase use of these standard of care technologies among all children. Presentation: 6/2/2024

Accountable care organizations and HPV vaccine uptake: a multilevel analysis.

To examine associations between accountable care organization (ACO) membership and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and to evaluate variation in HPV vaccination across ACO providers. Retrospective cohort study. We analyzed the records of commercially insured children and adolescents aged 11 to 14 years using Connecticut's All-Payer Claims Database from January 2012 to December 2017. A total of 23,911 adolescents receiving care from 933 ACO-attributable providers and 923 non-ACO-attributable providers were included. The mean rate of HPV vaccine initiation was 53% overall (51% among boys, 55% among girls). Among those who initiated the vaccine, the mean rate of HPV vaccine completion was 69% (67% among boys, 70% among girls). Adolescents receiving care at ACOs vs non-ACOs were significantly more likely to receive initial HPV vaccination (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.69-1.91) and to complete the HPV vaccine series (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.01-1.23). Among adolescents receiving care in ACOs, providers were responsible for 14% of variability in HPV vaccine initiation and 10% of variability in HPV vaccine completion and ACOs were responsible for less than 1% of variability in HPV vaccine initiation and completion. Adolescents receiving care from ACOs were significantly more likely to initiate and complete HPV vaccination than were adolescents receiving care in non-ACO settings. Variation in HPV vaccine uptake attributable to providers within ACOs dwarfed variation attributable to ACOs, indicating that vaccine uptake was more dependent on the provider irrespective of the ACO with which they were affiliated. Efforts to improve HPV vaccination rates may require provider-focused interventions regardless of the overall performance of their health care system orproviderorganization.

Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations and Disparities in Pediatric Asthma Care.

Nearly 6 million children in the US have asthma, and over one-third of US children are insured by Medicaid. Although 23 state Medicaid programs have experimented with accountable care organizations (ACOs), little is known about ACOs' effects on longstanding insurance-based disparities in pediatric asthma care and outcomes. To determine associations between Massachusetts Medicaid ACO implementation in March 2018 and changes in care quality and use for children with asthma. Using data from the Massachusetts All Payer Claims Database from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2020, we determined child-years with asthma and used difference-in-differences (DiD) estimates to compare asthma quality of care and emergency department (ED) or hospital use for child-years with Medicaid vs private insurance for 3 year periods before and after ACO implementation for children aged 2 to 17 years. Regression models accounted for demographic and community characteristics and health status. Data analysis was conducted between January 2022 and June 2024. Massachusetts Medicaid ACO implementation. Primary outcomes were binary measures in a calendar year of (1) any routine outpatient asthma visit, (2) asthma medication ratio (AMR) greater than 0.5, and (3) any ED or hospital use with asthma. To determine the statistical significance of differences in descriptive statistics between groups, χ2 and t tests were used. Among 376 509 child-year observations, 268 338 (71.27%) were insured by Medicaid and 73 633 (19.56%) had persistent asthma. There was no significant change in rates of routine asthma visits for Medicaid-insured child-years vs privately insured child-years post-ACO implementation (DiD, -0.4 percentage points [pp]; 95% CI, -1.4 to 0.6 pp). There was an increase in the proportion with AMR greater than 0.5 for Medicaid-insured child-years vs privately insured in the postimplementation period (DiD, 3.7 pp; 95% CI, 2.0-5.4 pp), with absolute declines in both groups postimplementation. There was an increase in any ED or hospital use for Medicaid-insured child-years vs privately insured postimplementation (DiD, 2.1 pp; 95% CI, 1.2-3.0 pp), an 8% increase from the preperiod Medicaid use rate. Introduction of Massachusetts Medicaid ACOs was associated with persistent insurance-based disparities in routine asthma visit rates; a narrowing in disparities in appropriate AMR rates due to reductions in appropriate rates among those with private insurance; and worsening disparities in any ED or hospital use for Medicaid-insured children with asthma compared to children with private insurance. Continued study of changes in pediatric asthma care delivery is warranted in relation to major Medicaid financing and delivery system reforms.

Accounting for Children in Accountable Care Organizations

Accounting for Children in Accountable Care Organizations

The Role of social care in health organizations for managing chronic Medical Conditions: A Comprehensive Review

This review examines the role of social care in managing chronic medical conditions within health organizations. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular conditions require comprehensive management strategies that extend beyond medical treatment to address the broader social determinants of health, including socioeconomic factors, social support systems, and community resources. The integration of social care into healthcare settings has emerged as a critical approach to improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. This review highlights the impact of social care models, such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and Health Homes, on chronic disease management. By analyzing current literature and case studies, the review explores how health organizations have successfully integrated social services to support patients with chronic conditions. Challenges such as funding, workforce development, and institutional barriers are also discussed. The findings suggest that a multidisciplinary approach combining medical care with social support can enhance care continuity, patient engagement, and long-term disease management. This review emphasizes the need for policy changes and innovative models to facilitate the effective integration of social care into chronic disease management frameworks.

What value do teaching hospitals provide commercial beneficiaries when in an ACO?

The number of commercial beneficiaries cared for by accountable care organizations (ACOs) is growing, but the literature examining their trends is nascent. We examined commercial claims data from 2019 to 2021 to compare beneficiaries attributed to participants in Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs with and without a major teaching hospital. We calculated mortality and spending by setting for each ACO type by year. Compared with per-beneficiary rates at nonteaching ACOs, major teaching ACOs have lower mortality rates by up to 2.2 percentage points depending on the patient age group, $283 lower inpatient spending, and lower emergency department utilization in inpatient (-0.008) and outpatient (-0.013) settings, as well as $146 higher overall outpatient spending. Upward trends in mortality and beneficiary risk scores across both ACO types show disruption to health outcomes during COVID-19. These results provide evidence that ACOs with major teaching hospitals may be more likely to achieve the value-based goals of ACOs. Means to accomplish those goals may include avoiding higher-intensity care and supporting access to lower-cost alternatives where clinically appropriate, such as reducing inpatient and emergency department stays by delivering timely, high-quality outpatient care.

Massachusetts Medicaid ACO Program May Have Improved Care Use And Quality For Pregnant And Postpartum Enrollees.

Value-based care models, such as Medicaid accountable care organizations (ACOs), have the potential to improve access to and quality of care for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid enrollees. We leveraged a natural experiment in Massachusetts to evaluate the effects of Medicaid ACOs on quality-of-care-sensitive measures and care use across the prenatal, delivery, and postpartum periods. Using all-payer claims data on Medicaid-covered live deliveries in Massachusetts, we used a difference-in-differences approach to compare measures before (the first quarter of 2016 through the fourth quarter of 2017) and after (the third quarter of 2018 through the fourth quarter of 2020) Medicaid ACO implementation among ACO and non-ACO patients. After three years of implementation, the Medicaid ACO was associated with statistically significant increases in the probability of a timely postpartum visit, postpartum depression screening, and number of all-cause office visits in the prenatal and postpartum periods, with no changes in severe maternal morbidity, preterm birth, postpartum glucose screening, or prenatal or postpartum emergency department visits. Changes in cesarean deliveries were inconclusive. Results suggest that implementing Medicaid ACOs in the thirty-eight states without them could improve maternal health care outpatient engagement, but alone it may be insufficient to improve maternal health outcomes.

Skilled Nursing and Home Health Policy: A Primer for the Hospital Clinician

This paper addresses the increasing challenges faced by hospital clinicians in coordinating and recommending postacute care for patients, focusing on issues related to access to the most common postacute services: skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and home health agencies (HHAs). In coordinating discharges, hospital clinicians have minimal information on care delivery in these settings. This knowledge gap is exacerbated by the disrupted continuum of patient care between acute care hospitals, SNFs, and HHAs. To address these challenges, hospital clinicians must understand how recent federal policies have impacted SNF and HHA care provision. The paper provides an overview of recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) policies and programs affecting SNFs and HHAs, including: (1) fee-for-service reimbursement reform (ie, Patient Driven Payment Model [PDPM] and the Patient Driven Groupings Model [PDGM]); (2) bundled payment programs; (3) accountable care organizations; (4) Medicare Advantage plans. Overall, this paper aims to help hospital clinicians stay informed about the evolving landscape of postacute care delivery by providing relevant information on how recent policy changes have impacted patient care.

Factors Associated with Completeness of Sex and Gender Fields in Electronic Health Records.

Purpose: Our purpose was to understand the completeness of sex and gender fields in electronic health record (EHR) data and patient-level factors associated with completeness of those fields. In doing so, we aimed to inform approaches to EHR sex and gender data collection. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study using 2016-2021 deidentified EHR data from a large health care system. Our sample included adults who had an encounter at any of three hospitals within the health care system or were enrolled in the health care system's Accountable Care Organization. The sex and gender fields of interest were gender identity, sex assigned at birth (SAB), and legal sex. Patient characteristics included demographics, clinical features, and health care utilization. Results: In the final study sample (N = 3,473,123), gender identity, SAB, and legal sex (required for system registration) were missing for 75.4%, 75.8%, and 0.1% of individuals, respectively. Several demographic and clinical factors were associated with having complete gender identity and SAB. Notably, the odds of having complete gender identity and SAB were greater among individuals with an activated patient portal (odds ratio [OR] = 2.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.66-2.70) and with more outpatient visits (OR = 4.34; 95% CI = 4.29-4.38 for 5+ visits); odds of completeness were lower among those with any urgent care visits (OR = 0.80; 95% CI = 0.78-0.82). Conclusions: Missingness of sex and gender data in the EHR was high and associated with a range of patient factors. Key features associated with completeness highlight multiple opportunities for intervention with a focus on patient portal use, primary care provider reporting, and urgent care settings.

Effects of Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations on children's access to and utilization of health services.

To evaluate the effects of Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) on children's access to and utilization of health services. This study employs difference-in-differences models comparing ACO and non-ACO states from 2018 through 2021. Access measures are indicators for preventive and sick care sources, unmet healthcare needs, and having a personal doctor or nurse. Utilization measures are preventive and dental care, mental healthcare, specialist visits, emergency department visits, and hospital admissions. Secondary, de-identified data come from the 2016-2021 National Survey of Children's Health. The sample includes children with public insurance and ranges between 21,452 and 37,177 depending on the outcome. Medicaid ACO implementation was associated with an increase in children's likelihood of having a personal doctor or nurse by about 4 percentage-points concentrated among states that implemented ACOs in 2018. Medicaid ACOs were also associated with an increase in specialist care use and decline in emergency visits by about 5 percentage-points (the latter being concentrated among states that implemented ACOs in 2020). There were no discernable or robust associations with other pediatric outcomes. There is mixed evidence on the associations of Medicaid ACOs with pediatric access and utilization outcomes. Examining effects over longer periods post-ACO implementation is important.

Meeting The Needs Of Socially Vulnerable Patients: Views Of ACO Leaders On Moving From Intent To Action.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has placed growing emphasis on social drivers of health, but little is known about how accountable care organizations (ACOs) aim to meet the needs of vulnerable patients. During September-December 2022, we interviewed leaders of forty-nine ACOs participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Participants were asked about strategies to identify socially vulnerable patients, programs that addressed their needs, and Medicare reforms that could support their efforts. Seven themes emerged: ACOs were in the early stages of collecting social needs data; leaders were frustrated by an incomplete ability to act on such data; ACOs tended to stratify patients by medical, rather than social, risk; some ACOs have introduced pilot programs to address challenges, including social isolation and drug costs; programs were often payer agnostic; rural ACOs faced unique challenges; and Medicare reforms related to reimbursement, logistical support, quality metrics, and patient benefits could support ACO efforts. These findings suggest that the MSSP alone has not been sufficient to promote consistent investment in social needs provision at most ACOs. Policy makers may want to consider more direct support and incentives for health care organizations, or greater investment in non-health care sectors, to help socially vulnerable patients.

Telehealth Infrastructure, Accountable Care Organization, and Medicare Payment for Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Living in Socially Vulnerable Areas.

Background: Structural social determinants of health have an accumulated negative impact on physical and mental health. Evidence is needed to understand whether emerging health information technology and innovative payment models can help address such structural social determinants for patients with complex health needs, such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Objective: This study aimed to test whether telehealth for care coordination and Accountable Care Organization (ACO) enrollment for residents in the most disadvantaged areas, particularly those with ADRD, was associated with reduced Medicare payment. Methods: The study used the merged data set of 2020 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare inpatient claims data, the Medicare Beneficiary Summary File, the Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), and the American Hospital Annual Survey. Our study focused on community-dwelling Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years and up. Cross-sectional analyses and generalized linear models (GLM) were implemented. Analyses were implemented from November 2023 to February 2024. Results: Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries residing in SVI Q4 (i.e., the most vulnerable areas) reported significantly higher total Medicare costs and were least likely to be treated in hospitals that provided telehealth post-discharge services or have ACO affiliation. Meanwhile, the proportion of the population with ADRD was the highest in SVI Q4 compared with other SVI levels. The GLM regression results showed that hospital telehealth post-discharge infrastructure, patient ACO affiliation, SVI Q4, and ADRD were significantly associated with higher Medicare payments. However, coefficients of interaction terms among these factors were significantly negative. For example, the average interaction effect of telehealth post-discharge and ACO, SVI Q4, and ADRD on Medicare payment was -$1,766.2 (95% confidence interval: -$2,576.4 to -$976). Conclusions: Our results suggested that the combination of telehealth post-discharge and ACO financial incentives that promote care coordination is promising to reduce the Medicare cost burden among patients with ADRD living in socially vulnerable areas.

How adoption of new pharmaceuticals can impact US health system reimbursement under alternative payment models: An economic model measuring the impact of sotagliflozin among patients with heart failure and diabetes.

Heart failure (HF) is among the leading causes of death in the United States. Further, patients hospitalized because of HF with comorbid diabetes mellitus (DM) are at a significantly increased risk of death and rehospitalization. Results from the SOLOIST-WHF trial show that sotagliflozin lowered rates of readmission among hospitalized patients with HF and comorbid DM. However, it is unclear what the economic impact of the use of sotagliflozin would be on hospitals and health systems, particularly in an age where provider reimbursement is increasingly tied to value. To quantify the 1-year financial impact on US provider health systems of adopting sotagliflozin relative to standard of care (SoC) across different alternative payment models. This study created a 3-part decision tree model to quantify the financial impact of using sotagliflozin to treat patients hospitalized with HF in a US hospital setting. The model first estimated the clinical and economic outcomes of health systems with current SoC (no sotagliflozin) to treat US patients hospitalized for HF with comorbid DM. Then, using the results from the SOLOIST trial, the changes in clinical and economic outcomes with sotagliflozin adoption were modeled. Finally, the differences in health care utilization between sotagliflozin and SoC arms were translated to differences in health system reimbursement in the context of 3 common alternative payment models (APMs) in addition to the baseline fee-for-service (FFS) model: FFS with the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement-Advanced program, and Accountable Care Organizations. A typical community hospital would have 83.4 patients per year on average with an index HF hospitalization with comorbid DM. The model predicted that sotagliflozin would reduce the probability of hospitalization, emergency department visits, and deaths by 29.3%, 38.5%, and 17.8%, respectively, compared with SoC. For hospitals not participating in APM programs, sotagliflozin resulted in a net loss of $92.94 per person ($7,754 per health system). Conversely, when accounting for provider health system participation in APMs, sotagliflozin adoption increased financial returns by $4,720 per person ($305,604 per health system) under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, $1,200 per person ($100,106 per health system) for the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement-Advanced program, and $1,078 per person ($31,029 per health system) for Accountable Care Organizations. Based on the national average composition of APM reimbursement, sotagliflozin adoption resulted in a $1,576 increase in margin per patient with HF ($105,454 per health system). Although sotagliflozin adoption reduced health system revenue in an FFS payment model, it led to a net positive financial impact after accounting for APM bonus payments.

Awareness and Knowledge of the National Healthcare Transformation Program Among Public Health and Preventive Medicine Physicians in Saudi Arabia.

The Health Sector Transformation Program (HSTP) has been established as part of Saudi Vision 2030. Despite the significant progress achieved in previous years, the HSTP addresses multiple challenges. One of these challenges is that the current healthcare model prioritizes treatment over prevention. Therefore, prioritizing preventive healthcare measures is crucial. This study aims to assess the levels of awareness and knowledge among the public health and preventive medicine physicians in Saudi Arabia towards the national healthcare transformation program. In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed public health and preventive medicine physicians in Saudi Arabia. We collected data through a newly developed and validated self-administered questionnaire, which was distributed online. The survey questionnaire consisted of three sections: participants' background characteristics; measurement of public health and preventive medicine physicians' awareness of the HSTP and their confidence in their awareness; and measurement of the physicians' knowledge of the HSTP through six multiple-choice questions. In this study, 307 public health and preventive medicine physicians in Saudi Arabia participated. The mean age ± SD was 33.1 ± 5.1 years, with 54.7% being public health and preventive medicine residents, 33.2% specialists, and 12.1% consultants. Most participants showed high awareness of the HSTP and its strategic objectives. Over two-thirds correctly defined HSTP, value-based healthcare, and the new Model of Care (MOC), while about 50% demonstrated inadequate knowledge regarding Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and the "Keep Well" system. Older physicians, consultants, and those with more years of work experience had higher knowledge scores. Regression analysis revealed that job rank significantly influenced public health and preventive medicine physicians' knowledge of the HSTP. This study shows that while public health and preventive medicine physicians are generally aware of HSTP's objectives, they have inadequate confidence in their knowledge, highlighting the need for better information dissemination. Awareness of the MOC is high, but gaps persist in understanding specific components like the "Keep Well" initiatives. The study also found that job rank and experience influence knowledge levels, suggesting the need for broader dissemination of the HSTP concepts.

Do Healthcare Incentives Motivate Effort or Free-Riding? Evidence from Accountable Care Organizations

Do Healthcare Incentives Motivate Effort or Free-Riding? Evidence from Accountable Care Organizations

Gaps in the coordination of care for people living with dementia.

One-third of people living with dementia (PLWD) have highly fragmented care (i.e., care spread across many ambulatory providers without a dominant provider). It is unclear whether PLWD with fragmented care and their caregivers perceive gaps in communication among the providers involved and whether any such gaps are perceived as benign inconveniences or as clinically meaningful, leading to adverse events. We sought to determine the frequency of perceived gaps in communication (coordination) among providers and the frequency of self-reported adverse events attributed to poor coordination. We conducted a cross-sectional study in the context of a Medicare accountable care organization (ACO) in New York in 2022-2023. We included PLWD who were attributed to the ACO, had fragmented care in the past year by claims (reversed Bice-Boxerman Index ≥0.86), and were in a pragmatic clinical trial on care management. We used an existing survey instrument to determine perceptions of care coordination and perceptions of four adverse events (repeat tests, drug-drug interactions, emergency department visits, and hospital admissions). ACO care managers collected data by telephone, using clinical judgment to determine whether each survey respondent was the patient or a caregiver. We used descriptive statistics to summarize results. Of 167 eligible PLWD, surveys were completed for 97 (58.1%). Of those, 88 (90.7%) reported having >1 ambulatory visit and >1 ambulatory provider and were thus at risk for gaps in care coordination and included in the analysis. Of those, 23 respondents were patients (26.1%) and 64 were caregivers (72.7%), with one respondent's role missing. Overall, 57% of respondents reported a problem (or "gap") in the coordination of care and, separately, 18% reported an adverse event that they attributed to poor care coordination. Gaps in coordination of care for PLWD are reported to be very common and often perceived as hazardous.

Who participates in value-based care models? Physician characteristics and implications for value-based care.

Value-based care (VBC) payment models are becoming increasingly prevalent as alternatives to the traditional fee-for-service paradigm. This research quantifies the relationship between physician characteristics and participation in VBC payment models using the Association of American Medical Colleges' 2022 National Sample Survey of Physicians. We specified logistic regressions using physician-level variables to assess associations with current and new participation in Accountable Care Organizations, Primary Care First model, capitation, and bundled payments. Our results indicate that most respondents engaged in at least 1 VBC. Participation varied based on several characteristics, and physician specialty was highly predictive of overall participation. Compared with primary care physicians (PCPs), hospital-based physicians (odds ratio [OR] = 0.6, P < .001), medical specialists (OR = 0.5, P < .001), psychiatrists (OR = 0.4, P < .001), and surgeons (OR = 0.5, P < .001) were less likely to participate in VBC models. Medical specialists and surgeons were less likely to participate in commercial capitation than PCPs, while medical specialists and obstetricians/gynecologists were more likely to participate in certain bundles than PCPs. We suggest several policies to close the cross-specialty participation gap by including specialists and appealing to providers and patients.

Evaluation of remote pharmacist intervention on type 2 diabetes hemoglobin A1c reduction in an accountable care organization

Background The value of clinical pharmacists for ambulatory internal medicine clinics is well recognized, including their role in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, there is a lack of data evaluating the clinical impact of remote, referral-based pharmacy programs. Methods This multicenter, cohort, retrospective chart review study analyzed the impact of pharmacist interventions on blood glucose control in patients aged 18 years and older who were diagnosed with T2DM with an HbA1c of 8.5% or greater and referred to the clinical pharmacy team for medication evaluation. Primary care providers may have accepted or rejected pharmacist recommendations. The primary study outcome was the mean change in HbA1c from baseline to follow-up at 2 to 5 months. Secondary outcomes included appropriate use of American Diabetes Association–indicated secondary prevention and any occurrence of glycemia-related events (i.e., T2DM-related emergency room visits or hospitalizations). Results At the conclusion of the study, the mean change in HbA1c from baseline to follow-up at 2 to 5 months was −2.7% and −0.6% for the accepted and rejected intervention groups, respectively (t = −2.94, P = 0.0068). Conclusions The results of this study suggest that remote pharmacist intervention significantly improves blood glucose control in adults with T2DM.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Led To A Large Decline In Physician Gross Revenue Across All Specialties In 2020.

US health care use declined during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Although utilization is known to have recovered in 2021 and 2022, it is unknown how revenue in 2020-22 varied by physician specialty and practice setting. This study linked medical claims from a large national federation of commercial health plans to physician and practice data to estimate pandemic-associated impacts on physician revenue (defined as payments to eligible physicians) by specialty and practice characteristics. Surgical specialties, emergency medicine, and medical subspecialties each experienced a greater than 9percent adjusted gross revenue decline in 2020 relative to prepandemic baselines. By 2022, pathology and psychiatry revenue experienced robust recovery, whereas surgical and oncology revenue remained at or below baseline. Revenue recovery in 2022 was greater for physicians practicing in hospital-owned practices and in practices participating in accountable care organizations. Pandemic-associated revenue recovery in 2021 and 2022 varied by specialty and practice type. Given that physician financial instability is associated with health care consolidation and leaving practice, policy makers should closely monitor revenue trends among physicians in specialties or practice settings with sustained gross revenue reductions during the pandemic.