Jayson Slotnik Discusses Using Payment Models to Address Health Equity

While CMS has started making changes to address health equity through policy and payment models, commercial plans are waiting to see the outcomes before they follow suit, said Jayson Slotnik, partner, Health Policy Strategies, Inc.

Transcript

CMS is tweaking value-based payment models to address equity better. Are commercial plans already doing this or will they start following in the footsteps of CMS and begin to address equity in payment models?

So, in the last couple of years, CMS has had a significant emphasis on health equity. A significant approach introduced many policies related to trying to equitize access to health care across race, gender, age, socioeconomic status. And the ramifications of such are not really well known yet, because the policies haven't really gone into effect, number one, and certainly, we have not seen any data or results or research about health outcomes related to those efforts.

So, will commercial [plans] follow? It's hard to really say whether the commercial will follow. My guess is that they will wait and see what happens with Medicare. They will wait and see what's the outcomes of some of these innovative or different programs or investments, if you will, that CMS is making into these new policies—access, dedication to ignored areas of health care. And if they see a [return on investment] or even a better outcome that will cost them a little bit more, I want to believe that the commercial will follow.