Massachusetts Global Payment Initiative Shows Lower Costs & Higher Quality After Four Years

After Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBS) implemented a global payment initiative in 2009, spending on commercial medical claims for enrolled patients grew more slowly between 2009 and 2012, than spending for a control group located in eight neighboring states. The participating provider organizations’ performance on national quality benchmarks for chronic disease management, adult preventive care, pediatric care, and control of diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure generally exceeded national average performance on the benchmarks. Over four years, savings averaged 6.8%; the Massachusetts spending averaged $62.21 less per enrollee per quarter. Savings were highest for procedures, imaging, and . . .