West Health Partnership To Accelerate Value-Based Care

The Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy and West Health are collaborating on a three-year research initiative to advance and accelerate value-based payment reform in the U.S. healthcare system. Despite significant progress to implement new models over the past 10 years, barriers remain at both the state and national levels, meaning most care is still driven by fee-for-service payment, and existing programs have produced only modest cost savings.

To guide this initiative, the Duke-Margolis Center produced two roadmaps identifying critical action areas for the next phase of payment reform.

• The national roadmap focuses on the needs of providers and health systems, offering guidance in four key areas:

  • Implementing value-based payment models by expanding opportunities for specialists,

  • Reducing or eliminating low-value care

  • Increasing opportunities for consumer engagement; and

  • Improving treatment for the seriously ill
• The state roadmap focuses on the unique ability of states to develop payment models best suited for the needs of their health care system. It offers guidance focused on how to make the case for value-based care, identify and implement new payment models, strengthen data analytic capabilities and infrastructure, and develop supporting policies throughout the health care system

Over the next three years, Duke-Margolis and West Health will carry out a wide range of projects designed to build on the recommendations for this work. The initiative will also address core issues surrounding COVID-19, and offer webinars and other learning sessions to support state and organizations alike.