Defining Value
Cathy Eddy, President, Health Plan Alliance
02/06/2017
Someone recently asked me why we call the Health Plan Alliance meetings “value visits.” When we started these in-depth meetings in 2002, we wanted to be sure that we were getting the right folks in the room based on the subject matter and our members were able to share in-depth information that would be helpful to one another. Our Value Visits have become our most popular offering. One way we measure value is the satisfaction level of attendees -- last year it averaged 9.4 on a 10-point scale.
In our industry, there has been a lot of focus on “value-based” care and payment. We have seen efforts to align payers and providers, offer incentives to improve quality and outcomes. The progress has been slow, but headed in the right direction.
Since the election, our in-boxes have been filled with a lot of articles and analysis on what changes the new Trump Administration will bring. What will “repeal and replace” mean for our industry.
One of the thought pieces that came from PwC was entitled (Some) change is coming to healthcare. It recommended three “no regret” steps that all organizations should consider taking, regardless of what happens in DC:
- Double down on value
- Invest in business models that bring you closer to the consumer
- Scenario plan
I appreciated these recommendations because they are right in line with our 2017 leadership programming. Our Spring Leadership Conference April 5-7 in Southlake, TX has a focus on value-based payment and will include a keynote presentation by Mark Fendrick, M.D., president of the Value-Based Insurance Design Center in Michigan. We will also have a couple of member case studies on what drives employer value and how they are looking for a better consumer experience for their employees. MACRA and its impact on value-based payment to physicians will be another topic for discussion.
Scenario planning
On Friday, the last day of the Spring Leadership Value Visit, we will be featuring a workshop on scenario planning, a tool that can help teams consider the “what ifs” in times of uncertainty. It’s a great tool to stretch your thinking and refine options. In my work with boards, I’ve used it a couple of times.
During the past few months, I’ve been assisting the board of one of our member plans. They wanted to set up a framework for evaluating opportunities and making key decisions. A “Strategic Options” ad hoc committee was formed to look at challenges and opportunities facing the health plan and the owners. During the January session the plan’s CEO formulated about a dozen key questions that her team will consider and come back to the committee with responses.
Some of the questions were more short-term in nature, while others were more long-term and uncertain. At the board meeting, we shared that this approach would help identify some necessary work regardless of changes at the state or federal level, while other uncertain areas could benefit from scenario planning discussions until future direction is more defined.
Collaborate with us
At our Spring Leadership Conference, we want to provide some valuable tools and information for you to take back to your organizations. Take a look at the agenda for the Spring meeting – we hope you can join us.
Our Fall Leadership Conference Sept 26-28 in Asheville, NC will focus on the Customer Experience and what our health plans and their delivery systems are doing to drive value for health plan members. Be sure to mark your calendars.
Customers are looking for value – how we define and deliver it may change, but the demand for value will continue to be important.
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