Helping Health Centers Prepare for Payment Reform

As the health care environment continues to evolve and redefine quality care, payers are moving toward basing payment on patient health outcomes–value-based care–rather than the volume of care delivered. Community health centers are positioned to thrive under value-based care models because of they provide comprehensive care. To help health centers gauge their readiness, John Snow Inc. (JSI) with support from the The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) recently published an update to the NACHC Payment Reform Readiness Tool.

The Payment Reform Readiness Assessment Tool identifies key competency areas needed for health center engagement in payment reform models. It is not specific to one payer type or payment reform model. Rather, it is designed to capture core readiness areas that are needed to participate in a variety of payment reform models. The updated version reflects modernization and incorporates social determinants of health, IT, and the establishment of a coordinated, patient-centered delivery system.

The tool was developed through a thorough review of the literature on payment reform and service delivery models (including existing readiness assessment tools for accountable care organizations, patient-centered medical home, and other emerging payment and delivery system models), and JSI’s own experience with health centers.

This tool enables health centers to understand their current state so they can begin transformation. In an increasingly competitive market, there is an increasing need for health centers to be agile and well-positioned to handle payment reform.

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If you’d like to learn more about the NACHC Readiness Payment Reform tool, contact Ilana Webb.