AHA Speaks Out on Value-Based Care: Advocating for Patient-Centered Alternative Payment Models

The AHA, in its support for value-based care, submitted a statement to the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on June 13. During the hearing, the organization shared principles that they believe the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation should consider when designing alternative payment models. These principles include an adequate on-ramp and glidepath to transition to risk, proper risk adjustment, voluntary participation with flexible design, a balance between risk and reward, guardrails to prevent participants from competing against themselves, and upfront investment incentives.

The AHA also raised concerns about the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed Transforming Episode Accountability Model. This is a mandatory bundled payment model that the AHA believes should be made voluntary, along with several other suggested changes. Additionally, they questioned the design elements of CMS’ proposed Increasing Organ Transplant Access model, which is a mandatory payment model for kidney transplants.

Despite these concerns, the AHA remains actively engaged in discussions surrounding the transition to value-based care and is advocating for changes to ensure that these new payment models are beneficial for both patients and providers. They continue to work with policymakers to address concerns and improve the design of alternative payment models in order to achieve their goal of providing high-quality, cost-effective care.