Bundled Payments: The Advantages & The Challenges

Policymakers across the country are currently engaged in discussions on how to improve the way that health care providers are paid for the services they deliver. These discussions involve how to shift payment systems away from traditional fee for services and toward rewarding providers that achieve excellent outcomes and deliver value to their patients. While both private and public payers are implementing significant changes, much of the focus of payment reform is on pilot programs and demonstrations in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), such as accountable care organizations (ACOs), value-based purchasing, and bundled payments.

Bundled payments, which focus on . . .