We are about integrated and accountable

systems of care… with an oncology-specific specialty focus

 

 

The trend toward consolidation of services and coordinated care for patient populations has gained in momentum, particularly with the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as further enumerated with the release in March 2011 by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the proposed rules for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP).  The MSSP serves as a vehicle for encouraging the formation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), an emerging healthcare delivery model which offers financial incentives to Medicare providers for coordinated, integrated and quality care; for providing measurable “value,” while reducing costs.

About Us

Some healthcare organizations are already down the path of building the provider networks and administrative infrastructure necessary to function in an ACO world. Many of these organizations are legacies of the last attempt at integrating healthcare services in the mid 1990s, such as hospital-dominant integrated delivery systems (IDS), large multispecialty medical groups, independent practice associations (IPAs) and physician-hospital organizations (PHOs).

 

But where does a physician group – an oncology practice - fit in this rapidly evolving environment? Certainly the answer is market-specific. What is indicated for a hospital-dominant market like Chicago or Boston will be different than what is indicated for less consolidated markets.

 

·           Should a practice consider organizing an ACO – by some estimates, a $1.75 million proposition for an unknown return on that investment?

 

·           Should a practice just sign up to “play” in someone else’s ACO – likely sponsored by the local community hospital/healthcare system?

 

·          Or maybe the practice should lead the organization of a clinically integrated network (CIN) of complimentary specialists in order to become the federation of practices that provides the medical professional component of an ACO – a “hedge your bets” strategy?

 

·          Or should the practice just wait it out – wait and see if all this ACO stuff actually goes anywhere – at the risk of the ACO movement taking off and leaving the group behind – cut out of the Medicare program in the future (perhaps by 2014, after the first 3 year ACO contract period)?

 

Never has the need for alignment between physicians and hospitals been so great. Certainly, with reimbursement for services down, practice overhead up and physician income derived from private practice continuing to erode, it is no wonder that physician interest in exploring alignment relationships with community hospitals and academic medical centers in vogue.   Given this less-than-friendly reimbursement environment and the unknowns of the mandates of healthcare reform, a safe and secure alignment that integrates physicians with hospital can be a seductive proposition.

 

That is where we come in.  We serve as advisor and facilitator of physician-hospital alignment – oncology/cancer center services in particular. We navigate the stakeholders to this proposition from conceptualization to organizational and programmatic development through implementation and ongoing operational support. We bring a unique blend of innovation and pragmatism to our engagements. Ensuring your success is our sole mission.

 

For an initial no-charge consultation to assess your situation, please feel free to contact us at info@ccbdgroup.com. 603.472.2285.