The passage of the VA Mission Act authorized created the “Center for Care and Payment Innovation” with the purpose to focus on achieving cost savings without hurting quality. On October 25, 2019, the VA adopted a proposed rule to establish authority for the new Center with supplementary information appearing in the Federal Register.
The information in the Federal Register contains recommendations and thoughts on innovative approaches to help the VA. Also, suggested are ideas on pilots to effectively test payment and service delivery models.
Some of the recommendations and ideas for the Veterans Administration (VA) https://www.va.gov include:
- The VA should leverage existing partnerships to design and test innovations in telehealth, data exchange, care transitions, and in other areas
- VA should prioritize health promotion and disease prevention models that focus on keeping people healthy
- Nurse Practitioners (NP) should be included in the discussion on developing effective care models
- VA should consider pilot programs that would promote safe physical activity and provide transportation
- VA should be strategic in creating pilot studies to provide cost effect care, allow non-VA providers and other stakeholders not affiliated with the VA to propose pilot ideas
- VA should provide proper guidelines for recommending screenings and health promotion initiatives
- Address common health conditions unique to veterans such as mental health or substance abuse disorders
- Change from rebated and volume discount pricing arrangements to an outcomes/value-based flexible pricing arrangement
- The VA should increase the amount of value-based healthcare contracting opportunities within VA systems
- The VA should engage massage therapy within veterans’ healthcare and use the massage therapy as a non-pharmacologic opioid alternative to treatment
Go to https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/10/25/2019-23484/center-for-innovation-for-care-and-payment for more details and suggestions appearing in the Federal Register for the “Center for Innovation for Care and Payment”.