Health Affairs released a study finding that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’ (BCBS) quality incentive program is emblematic of the type of payment reform outlined in the national health care reform law.  The brief examines BCBS’ Alternative Quality Contract payment incentive program, which directly connects payments to quality benchmarks and schedules reimbursement rate increases over a five-year period.  The authors suggest that the model is successful because it is a more effective payment reform than previous models.

Chernew, M., et. al. (2011). Private-Payer Innovation In Massachusetts: The ‘Alternative Quality Contract’. Health Affairs, 30(1):51-61. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2010.0980. http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/30/1/51.abstract

Authors: Michael E. Chernew, Robert E. Mechanic, Bruce E. Landon, and Dana G. Safran