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Demonstration aims to find quality improvement mechanisms

Quality Improvement Monitor, September 15, 2005

A five-year demonstration project will find ways to identify, develop, test, and disseminate major improvements to healthcare systems at the regional level, CMS announced September 9.

"This is a major initiative to use innovative payments to improve health and reduce costs for everyone in an area, not just for Medicare beneficiaries but for all Americans," said CMS Administrator Mark B. McClellan, MD, PhD.  "We are allowing providers and communities to take advantage of Medicare payment reforms to redesign care delivery from the ground up, where they have the opportunity to structure that care and payment in a way that focuses on outcomes."

The demonstration project-for which CMS is seeking proposals-will aim to demonstrate how healthcare systems can achieve safety, effectiveness, efficiency, patient-centeredness, timeliness, and equity, according to a CMS press release. Demonstrations achieving improvements in quality can qualify for increased Medicare payments to participating healthcare providers in the region.

CMS hopes that increased payments to those practices that improve quality will have more financial support to adopt and use decision-support tools such as evidence-based guidelines, the agency said.

Physician groups, integrated delivery systems, or regional coalitions or systems are invited to apply, CMS said. For more information, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/researchers/demos/mma646/.

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