
Value-Based Care
Alternative payment models are becoming more advanced as the healthcare system transitions to value-based care and payers drive to accelerate generated savings. Track and stay ahead of this evolution to identify strategic partnerships and measure results.

Webinar: A Conversation on Digital Health: Download the Slides and Listen to the Recording
Avalere experts hosted a lively discussion on current trends in digital health and the key steps necessary for stakeholders across the industry to successfully implement digital health initiatives.

A Review of the New Medicare App: The Role of Patient Engagement and Digital Health
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is embracing digital health and virtual care in many ways.
BPCI Advanced Continues to See Robust Participation, Even as Providers Begin to Take on Risk
Providers in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced initiative began to assume financial risk on March 1, 2019.
Everyone Has a Job to Do in Reducing Costs
Today continues a steady diet of healthcare cost hearings with committees on both sides of Capitol Hill digging into the issue.
Interview: E4 – Recommendations for How to Overcome Common Barriers When Implementing Cost-of-Care Conversations
Tune in to hear the last episode in our 4-part series that provides clinicians with recommendations for how to overcome common barriers when implementing cost-of-care (CoC) conversations. Peter Ubel will talk with Avalere’s Katherine Steinberg on actionable tips that primary care clinicians can use to help address potential barriers and challenges related to implementing CoC conversations in the clinical setting. Support for this podcast was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth). The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the foundations.
Interview: E3 – A Guide to Integrating Cost-of-Care Conversations into Workflow
Tune in to hear the third episode in our 4-part series that provides clinicians with actionable approaches for integrating cost-of-care conversations into workflow. Nora Henrikson will talk with Avalere’s Katherine Steinberg on 3 pathways that clinicians can use to best integrate cost of care conversations into their clinical workflows. Support for this podcast was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth). The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the foundations.
Interview: Critical Steps for Post-Acute Care Organizations to Succeed in Value-Based Care
Tune in as Avalere experts interview each other on hot topics in healthcare. In this discussion, Avalere Managing Director of Health Plans and Providers, Fred Bentley is interviewed by Alexa Trost, Associate, on the current state of value-based care across the health care landscape and critical steps post-acute care organizations needs to take to to succeed in this environment.

CMS’s Annual Quality Conference Underscores Key Quality Improvement Priorities
In early February, Avalere attended the annual Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Conference, an annual gathering that brings stakeholders together to address challenges in healthcare quality improvement and discuss ways to spread these solutions locally and nationally.
Interview: E2 – Quick Tips for Clinicians on How to Talk with Patients About the Expected Costs of Care
Tune in to hear the second episode in our 4-part series that provides clinicians with actionable tips and a simple framework for how to structure cost-of-care (CoC) conversations with their patients. Susan Perez and Maria Pisu will talk with Avalere’s Katherine Steinberg on strategies that clinicians can use to discuss costs with their patients. Support for this podcast was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth). The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the foundations.
Interview: E1 – Why Should Primary Care Clinicians Routinely Talk with Their Patients About the Expected Costs of Care?
Tune in to hear the first episode in our 4-part series that focuses on how clinicians and other care team members can improve the quality and frequency of cost-of-care (CoC) conversations. To kick-off this series, Gwen Darien and Jim Hardee, will talk with Avalere’s Katherine Steinberg on why clinicians should speak with their patients about the expected costs of their care. Support for this podcast was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth). The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the foundations.
Next Generation ACOs Outperform 2-Sided MSSP ACO Counterparts
ACO Experience Again Proves to Be an Indicator of Success
Avalere Launches Podcast Series for Clinicians on How to Talk to Patients About Costs of Care
In February, Avalere is releasing a 4-part podcast series that focuses on how clinicians and other care team members can improve the quality and frequency of cost-of-care conversations with patients.
Actionable Resources to Facilitate Cost Conversations Between Patients and Clinicians
As part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Cost Conversation projects, Avalere led the development of a set of practice briefs that provide actionable resources to healthcare providers about how to improve the value and frequency of cost conversations with patients.

Hospital Willingness to Assume Risk Growing
The majority of hospitals in BPCI Advanced, the second iteration of CMS’ largest bunded payment initiative, have no prior experience with risk in the original BPCI program.

Multidisciplinary Workgroup Publishes Appropriate Use Criteria for LP and CSF Testing for the Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease
Today, Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association published appropriate use criteria (AUC) to guide the use of lumbar puncture (LP) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis for use in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Interview: E3 – New Appropriate Use Criteria Increases Likelihood of Accurate Diagnosis for Alzheimer’s Disease
Explore the value of the newly released Alzheimer’s Association appropriate use criteria for lumbar puncture and cerebral spinal fluid testing in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease with guest presenter Dr. Steven Salloway, Director of Neurology and the Memory and Aging Program at Butler Hospital.
Interview: E2 – CSF Clinical Diagnosis’ Used to Inform Guidance on Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease
Dr. Leslie Shaw, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Pearlman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Chair of the Workgroup that developed the Alzheimer’s Association’s appropriate use criteria for lumbar puncture and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) testing in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, discusses how the Workgroup reviewed an extensive body of research on advances in CSF testing to develop the AUC.
Interview: E1 – New Appropriate Use Criteria in Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease
We explore the value of the newly released Alzheimer’s Association appropriate use criteria for lumbar puncture and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) testing in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. We kick off this series with Dr. Maria Carillo, the Alzheimer Association’s Chief Science Officer and Dr. Jim Hendrix, Director of Global Science Initiatives.

Provider Performance Under Oncology Care Model Varies by Cancer Type
Clinicians who treat certain types of cancer may be better positioned to earn performance-based payments under the Oncology Care Model.

Experienced Medicare Accountable Care Organizations Generate Savings
Assuming risk appears to be a less important factor than experience in predicting ACO success.