Dr Harold L. Paz Discusses Aetna's Vision for the Future of Value-Based Relationships

As healthcare increasingly rewards quality and value in care delivery, Aetna hopes that 75% of its payments will be value-based by 2020, according to Harold L. Paz, MD, MS, executive vice president and chief medical officer at Aetna.

Transcript (slightly modified)

What has been Aetna’s experience with alternative payment models? What is the ultimate goal?

Aetna has been putting a great deal of emphasis in our strategic plan over the past several years on value-based relationships with providers, with hospitals, health systems, and physicians. At the present time, about 45% of our payments are through some type of a value-based relationship. Our goal is by 2020 to get to 75% of our payments in some type of a value relationship, and only about 25% will be in traditional fee-for-service reimbursement models.

We believe that’s the direction that healthcare is heading and the financing of healthcare will result in the providers of care taking more risk, on not only the outcomes but also how care is ultimately delivered to each and every individual. At the end of the day, that rewards quality, it puts the emphasis not on volume but on value, and we think that’s very important.