Feb 23, 2024 Discussion: Unintended Consequences of Health Care Reform
A Sample Answer For the Assignment: Discussion: Unintended Consequences of Health Care Reform
Basis for Formation and Potential Positives
ACO’s were developed as a part of the Medicare Shared Saving Program (MSSP) around 2012. Conceptually, the goals were referred to as the “triple aim” which included improved patient experience, improved health outcomes (based on Medicare population) and cost reduction. Incentives for ACO’s would include reimbursement based on shared savings as goals of their development (benchmark based) and include efficient utilization of resources and improvement of quality and outcomes of care (Chukmaitov, et. al., 2019).
Unintended Consequences
Unfortunately, in the first three years of the ACO development, less than half of the organizations were able to attain reimbursement for shared shavings as benchmarks were not met. Additionally, contributing factors included a mix of primary care and specialist providers, ultimately causing misaligned goals especially in relation to preventative care. (Mikhailitchenko, et. al., 2020). Many organizations decided not to continue in the program due to these outcomes.
Personal/Organizational Consideration
My organization is currently one of 5 ACO’s in the state of Massachusetts. Our Medicare brand “Steward Health Choice” services a large population of the state. As with other commercial payer goals, preventative care, meeting quality metrics and managing chronic conditions are priorities. In 2018, there were 17 ACO’s in the state (Goff, et. al., 2021). It does seem that unless the system is well organized and prioritizes benchmark and outcomes, the profitability is significantly reduced. So far, my organization has fared relatively well.
Struggling to Meet Your Deadline?
Get your assignment on Discussion: Unintended Consequences of Health Care Reform done on time by medical experts. Don’t wait – ORDER NOW!
Meet my deadline
References
Chukmaitov, A. S., Harless, D. W., Bazzoli, G. J., & Yangyang Deng. (2019). Factors associated with hospital participation in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Accountable Care Organization programs. Health Care Management Review, 44(2), 104–114.
Goff, S. L., Gurewich, D., Alcusky, M., Kachoria, A. G., Nicholson, J., & Himmelstein, J. (2021). Barriers and Facilitators to Implementation of Value-Based Care Models in New Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations in Massachusetts: A Study Protocol. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 645665. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.645665
Mikhailitchenko, A., & Pforsich, H. (2020). An Empirical Insight: Accountable Care Organizations’ Profitability and Quality Drivers. International Journal of Medicine & Public Health, 10(4), 155–159. https://doi.org/10.5530/ijmedph.2020.4.34
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers, who come together voluntarily to give coordinated high quality care to the Medicare patients they serve. Coordinated care helps ensure that patients, especially the chronically ill, get the right care at the right time, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary duplication of services and preventing medical errors.
When an ACO succeeds in both delivering high-quality care and spending health care dollars more wisely, it will share in the savings it achieves for the Medicare program. The healthcare payment process is undergoing a dramatic transformation as payers and providers shift from volume to value.
While stakeholders are currently piloting many different value-based care models, accountable care organizations are among the most popular and successful strategies to date. Accountable care organizations, or ACOs, are groups of hospitals, physicians, and other providers who agree to coordinate care for patients and deliver the right care at the right time, while avoiding unnecessary utilization of services and medical errors.
ACO participants also agree to take on responsibility for the total costs of care for their patients. ACOs that reduce the total costs of care for their patient populations can share in the savings with the payer. In certain models, they may also be liable to pay back losses if their costs exceed their spending benchmarks (Moore et al., 2017).
Discussion Unintended Consequences of Health Care Reform
Policymakers and healthcare leaders believe tying financial incentives to care quality, patient outcomes, and care coordination through ACOs is a key solution for fixing the inefficient fee-for-service system. The programs encourage providers to partner with others across the care continuum. Some providers are formally acquiring to gain control over a wide range of services, achieve economies of scale, and access the technology, data, and clinical capabilities of their peers.
In fact, ACOs are and are likely to continue to be a major player in the value-based care and payment transformation. When all the parts work together, providers in an ACO can bring down costs and improve care quality while earning incentive payments. HMOs, on the other hand, seek to cut costs by setting fixed prices for services, which may encourage providers to reduce utilization or skimp on care in an effort to stay under the cap(Colla et al., 2018).
References
Colla, H., & Fisher, E. S. (2018). Moving forward with accountable care organizations: some answers, more questions. JAMA internal medicine, 177(4), 527-528. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.9122
Moore, K. D., & Coddington, D. C. (2017). Accountable care the journey begins. Healthcare Financial Management, 64(8), 57-63. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/accountable-care-journey-begins/docview/746684537/se-2?accountid=14872
The PPACA of 2010 fostered new provisions for health care and the structure of health care delivery. The individual mandate to obtain insurance is one provocative provision. While this provision attempts to increase access to health care, it raises questions on how the existing system could sustain the potentially large influx of newly insured individuals.
Another provision calls for new models of health care provider organizations to ensure delivery efficiency and continuity of care. In this week’s media presentation, Dr. Kathleen White discusses the accountable care organization, which comprises a group of providers coordinating care across a variety of institutional settings. Yet becoming an accountable care organization may present a number of challenges.
This week’s Discussion builds on Week 1, continuing the examination of those societal and organizational contexts that influence health care reform. The unintended consequences of reform policy on the health care system are also considered. Discussion: Unintended Consequences of Health Care Reform
ORDER NOW FOR AN ORIGINAL PAPER Discussion: Unintended Consequences of Health Care Reform
To prepare:
Review this week’s media presentation and the other Learning Resources focusing on how reform may lead to improved quality, greater access, and reduced cost of care. Also think about the unintended consequences that may arise as a result.
Consider the information presented about the individual mandate and accountable care organizations. What are some questions or concerns you might have regarding the individual mandate? What are the pros and cons associated with becoming an accountable care organization?
With posting instructions in mind, select either the individual mandate or accountable care organizations as the focus of your Discussion this week.
By Day 3:
Post a cohesive response that addresses the following:
In the first line of your posting, identify the topic you have selected—either the individual mandate or accountable care organizations. With regard to this topic, describe one or more positive results that could be achieved, and one or more unintended consequence(s) that organizations or individuals may experience.
Briefly evaluate issues on the topic that may be a consideration for the organization you work in and the nursing profession.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.
By Day 6
Respond to at least two of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:
Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence or research.
Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.
Offer and support an alternative perspective using readings from the classroom or from your own research in the Walden Library.
Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.
Make a suggestion based on additional evidence drawn from readings or after synthesizing multiple postings.
Expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence.
Note: Please see the Syllabus and Discussion Rubric for formal Discussion question posting and response evaluation criteria.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you learned and/or any insights you gained as a result of the comments made by your colleagues. Discussion: Unintended Consequences of Health Care Reform
Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and any additional sources. Discussion: Unintended Consequences of Health Care Reform
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers, who come together voluntarily to give coordinated high quality care to the Medicare patients they serve. Coordinated care helps ensure that patients, especially the chronically ill, get the right care at the right time, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary duplication of services and preventing medical errors.
When an ACO succeeds in both delivering high-quality care and spending health care dollars more wisely, it will share in the savings it achieves for the Medicare program. The healthcare payment process is undergoing a dramatic transformation as payers and providers shift from volume to value.
While stakeholders are currently piloting many different value-based care models, accountable care organizations are among the most popular and successful strategies to date. Accountable care organizations, or ACOs, are groups of hospitals, physicians, and other providers who agree to coordinate care for patients and deliver the right care at the right time, while avoiding unnecessary utilization of services and medical errors.
ACO participants also agree to take on responsibility for the total costs of care for their patients. ACOs that reduce the total costs of care for their patient populations can share in the savings with the payer. In certain models, they may also be liable to pay back losses if their costs exceed their spending benchmarks (Moore et al., 2017).
Policymakers and healthcare leaders believe tying financial incentives to care quality, patient outcomes, and care coordination through ACOs is a key solution for fixing the inefficient fee-for-service system. The programs encourage providers to partner with others across the care continuum. Some providers are formally acquiring to gain control over a wide range of services, achieve economies of scale, and access the technology, data, and clinical capabilities of their peers.
In fact, ACOs are and are likely to continue to be a major player in the value-based care and payment transformation. When all the parts work together, providers in an ACO can bring down costs and improve care quality while earning incentive payments. HMOs, on the other hand, seek to cut costs by setting fixed prices for services, which may encourage providers to reduce utilization or skimp on care in an effort to stay under the cap(Colla et al., 2018).
References
Colla, H., & Fisher, E. S. (2018). Moving forward with accountable care organizations: some answers, more questions. JAMA internal medicine, 177(4), 527-528. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.9122
Moore, K. D., & Coddington, D. C. (2017). Accountable care the journey begins. Healthcare Financial Management, 64(8), 57-63. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/accountable-care-journey-begins/docview/746684537/se-2?accountid=14872
Rubric Detail
Select Grid View or List View to change the rubric’s layout.
Name: NURS_8100_Week2_Discussion_Rubric
Grid View
List View
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
RESPONSIVENESS TO DISCUSSION QUESTION
Discussion post minimum requirements:
*The original posting must be completed by Wednesday, Day 3, at 11:59pm MST. Two response postings to two different peer original posts, on two different days, are required by Saturday, Day 6, at 11:59pm MST. Faculty member inquiries require responses, which are not included in the minimum number of posts. Your Discussion Board postings should be written in standard edited English and follow APA style for format and grammar as closely as possible given the constraints of the online platform. Be sure to support the postings with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources as well as resources available through the Walden University online databases. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Walden Students to ensure your in-text citations and reference list are correct.
8 (26.67%) – 8 (26.67%)
Discussion postings and responses exceed the requirements of the Discussion instructions. They: Respond to the question being asked or the prompt provided; – Go beyond what is required in some meaningful way (e.g., the post contributes a new dimension, unearths something unanticipated); -Are substantive, reflective, with critical analysis and synthesis representative of knowledge gained from the course readings and current credible evidence. – Demonstrate significant ability to generalize and extend thinking and evaluate theories or concepts within the topic or context of the discussion. -Demonstrate that the student has read, viewed, and considered the Learning -Resources as well as additional resources and has read, viewed, or considered a sampling of colleagues’ postings; -Exceed the minimum requirements for discussion posts*.
7 (23.33%) – 7 (23.33%)
Discussion postings and responses meet the requirements of the Discussion instructions. They: -Respond to the question being asked or the prompt provided; -Are substantive, reflective, with critical analysis and synthesis representative of knowledge gained from the course readings and current credible evidence.re -Demonstrate ability to generalize and extend thinking and evaluate theories or concepts within the topic or context of the discussion. -Demonstrate that the student has read, viewed, and considered the Learning Resources and has read, viewed, or considered a sampling of colleagues’ postings -Meet the minimum requirements for discussion posts*.
6 (20%) – 6 (20%)
Discussion postings and responses are minimally responsive to the requirements of the Discussion instructions. They: – do not clearly address the objectives of the discussion or the question or prompt; and/or -May (lack) lack in depth, reflection, analysis, or synthesis but rely more on anecdotal than scholarly evidence; and/or -Do not adequately demonstrate that the student has read, viewed, and considered the Learning -Resources and/or a sampling of colleagues’ postings; and/or has posted by the due date at least in part. – Lack ability to generalize and extend thinking and evaluate theories or concepts within the topic or context of the discussion. -Do not meet the minimum requirements for discussion posts*.
0 (0%) – 5 (16.67%)
Discussion postings and responses are unresponsive to the requirements of the Discussion instructions. They: – do not clearly address the objectives of the discussion or the question or prompt; and/or – Lack in substance, reflection, analysis, or synthesis but rely more on anecdotal than scholarly evidence. – Lack ability to generalize and extend thinking and evaluate theories or concepts within the topic or context of the discussion. -Do not demonstrate that the student has read, viewed, and considered the Learning Resources and/or a sampling of colleagues’ postings; and/or does not meet the minimum requirements for discussion posts*.
CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
8 (26.67%) – 8 (26.67%)
Discussion postings and responses: -demonstrate in-depth understanding and application of concepts and issues presented in the course (e.g., insightful interpretations including analysis, synthesis and/or evaluation of topic; – are well supported by pertinent research/evidence from a variety of and multiple peer- reviewed books and journals, where appropriate; -Demonstrate significant mastery and thoughtful/accurate application of content, applicable skills or strategies presented in the course. Discussion: Unintended Consequences of Health Care Reform
7 (23.33%) – 7 (23.33%)
Discussion postings and responses: -demonstrate understanding and application of the concepts and issues presented in the course, presented with some understanding and application of concepts and issues presented in the course (e.g., insightful interpretations including analysis, synthesis and/or evaluation of topic; -are supported by research/evidence from peer-reviewed books and journals, where appropriate; and · demonstrate some mastery and application of content, applicable skills, or strategies presented in the course.
6 (20%) – 6 (20%)
Discussion postings and responses: – demonstrate minimal understanding of concepts and issues presented in the course, and, although generally accurate, display some omissions and/or errors; –lack support by research/evidence and/or the research/evidence is inappropriate or marginal in quality; and/or lack of analysis, synthesis or evaluation of topic – demonstrate minimal content, skills or strategies presented in the course. ——-Contain numerous errors when using the skills or strategies presented in the course
0 (0%) – 5 (16.67%)
Discussion postings and responses demonstrate: -A lack of understanding of the concepts and issues presented in the course; and/or are inaccurate, contain many omissions and/or errors; and/or are not supported by research/evidence; and/or lack of analysis, synthesis or evaluation of topic -Many critical errors when discussing content, applicable skills or strategies presented in the course.
CONTRIBUTION TO THE DISCUSSION
8 (26.67%) – 8 (26.67%)
Discussion postings and responses significantly contribute to the quality of the discussion/interaction and thinking and learning by: -providing Rich and relevant examples; discerning and thought-provoking ideas; and stimulating thoughts and probes; – -demonstrating original thinking, new perspectives, and extensive synthesis of ideas supported by the literature. Discussion: Unintended Consequences of Health Care Reform
7 (23.33%) – 7 (23.33%)
Discussion postings and responses contribute to the quality of the discussion/interaction and thinking and learning by -providing relevant examples; thought-provoking ideas – Demonstrating synthesis of ideas supported by the literature
6 (20%) – 6 (20%)
Discussion postings and responses minimally contribute to the quality of discussion/interaction and thinking and learning by: – providing few and/or irrelevant examples; and/or – providing few if any thought- provoking ideas; and/or -. Information that is restated from the literature with no/little demonstration of critical thinking or synthesis of ideas. Discussion: Unintended Consequences of Health Care Reform
0 (0%) – 5 (16.67%)
Discussion postings and responses do not contribute to the quality of interaction/discussion and thinking and learning as they do not: -Provide examples (or examples are irrelevant); and/or -Include interesting thoughts or ideas; and/or – Demonstrate of critical thinking or synthesis of ideas
QUALITY OF WRITING
6 (20%) – 6 (20%)
Discussion postings and responses exceed doctoral -level writing expectations. They: · Use grammar and syntax that is clear, concise, and appropriate to doctoral level writing; · Make few if any errors in spelling, grammar, and syntax; · Use original language and refrain from directly quoting origi
Order a similar assignment, and have writers from our team of experts write it for you, guaranteeing you an A
