Bundled payments, whereby a provider or multiple providers are reimbursed a single payment for all their services related to an episode of care, such as a surgery, rather than being paid for each individual service, are meant to reduce spending while increasing the quality of care. With the goal of reducing the volume of services provided, physicians will have to be much more deliberate and proactive in the care planning and coordination.
To learn more about the impacts bundled payments have upon physician reimbursements, I spoke with Inita Bedi, Managing Partner, Subsero. She outlined:
how the quality of care will dictate the financial rewards physicians will reap with bundled payments;
the importance of mitigating additional, and often unnecessary, care events; and
the role primary care providers must take relative to educating their patients on their immediate healthcare needs and developing a plan of action to prevent major medical events such as hospitalization, surgery, and long-term care.
