Reimbursement compression, softening demand, and new pay-for-performance programs have required CV programs to be diligent about managing costs, primarily for expensive inpatient services.
However, the emergence of alternative payment models are mandating CV leaders to expand the focus of cost-savings strategies to cover entire episodes of care, which creates new challenges for CV leaders. And with CMS’s announcement of a proposed mandatory bundle for AMI and CABG, CV programs must develop a clear strategy to respond to these challenges.
This research report offers 12 lessons for CV leaders to build an appropriate internal infrastructure and foster meaningful partnerships with physicians, vendors, and post-acute care providers to succeed with episodic cost management.