In his written statement, Dr. Holman elaborated on SHM’s efforts regarding transitions of care and pushed for an alignment of CMS quality measures and incentives for physicians with those for hospitals.
Air of Excitement
Although they had many concerns about implementation, the roundtable participants were enthusiastic about the plan. “There was a fabulous give-and-take on issues regarding implementation,” says Allendorf.
Dr. Holman stayed after the meeting to discuss the proceedings with other participants. “All in all, the informal comments I heard after the meeting were that this was the most exciting moment they’d had in 30-plus years in healthcare,” he notes. “This marks a substantial change in the payment system, which has always been seen as a barrier to quality.”
What’s Next
The ball is now in the court of Sens. Baucus and Grassley, who will use the roundtable input to draft legislation that would make the necessary statutory changes in time for CMS to implement the plan by fiscal year 2009, or Oct. 1, as mandated by the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005.
“I think they’ll be back in touch with [SHM] as they develop the plan,” Allendorf predicts. After the legislation has been submitted, it’s up to Congress to act. “Everything depends on whether any Medicare legislation moves this year, and no one know whether that will happen,” she says.
Whatever final form the CMS plan takes, the future looks bright for value-based purchasing—and for SHM’s continued involvement.
“This roundtable was an excellent opportunity for SHM to develop a relationship with CMS, and to link to the Senate Finance Committee,” Dr. Holman asserts. “My hope is that those relationships will bear fruit over time, and that we can continue to work with those entities, as well as the other roundtable participants, to propose and develop measures over time, and to bring alignment between hospital measures and physician measures.”
Jane Jerrard is a medical writer based in Chicago.
Read More Online
For more information on the roundtable, including Dr. Holman’s written statement and others, as well as a recorded Webcast, visit Sen. Baucus’ Web site at www.senate.gov/~finance/sitepages/VBProundtable030408.htm. TH