09 Mar Task Force Comments on LAN Financial Benchmarking White Paper

The HCTTF agrees with much of what is included in the White Paper. Thematically, we urge the LAN to sharpen the focus of the white paper to reflect what’s best for patients, and not necessarily what’s best for providers in particular situations.

Task Force Response Summary

1. Establishing and Updating the Benchmark. The state of play of health care transformation reflects a wide variance of readiness and adoption among both payers and providers. We understand the premise that benchmarking practices should be designed in a way that encourages inefficient actors to become involved and take steps to provide better quality care at lower cost for better health. Conversely, those organizations that are unable or do not show desire to move in this direction should not be rewarded or protected from the consequences of their inaction.
2. Risk Adjusting Regional and National Benchmarks. The purpose of risk adjustment is to make accurate comparisons in value between two different people or populations. To change an entire methodology due to the gaming concerns emanating from a small population seems unnecessarily drastic and makes measurement of value in health care more difficult and moves us away from our goal of value-driven health care. Instead, we urge an audit or oversight process be made available that investigates individual gaming concerns, with applicable penalties for any proven bad behavior.

Read the full letter for the Task Force’s recommendations.

Read the letter here

Letter submitted on March 9, 2016