Do Bundled Payments Make the Grade?

Traditionally, third-party payors reimbursed healthcare providers for services performed on a fee-for-service basis. The Patient Protection Affordable Care Act has been exploring alternative payment models that result in improved quality of care and lower costs.

One initiative comes in the form of bundled payments, also known as episode-based payments, which are becoming more common as organizations experiment with alternative ways to structure reimbursement. CMS recently invited providers to help test and develop four different models of bundling payments. But do these bundled payments make the grade?  To learn more, see our perspective published in Becker's Hospital Review.