In order to facilitate the provision of cost effective health care services, enhance the quality of care and improve the coordination and efficiency of health care services in the commonwealth, the division of health care finance and policy, herein referred to as the division, shall undertake activities intended to foster the adoption by providers and payers in the commonwealth of arrangements by which providers will contract to accept payment on a bundled, rather than a fee-for-service, basis. To promote provider participation in such bundled payment arrangements, the division shall make technical support available to providers and payers, survey or undertake research concerning existing and proposed bundled payment models within the commonwealth and elsewhere and disseminate the results of such research; assess the effects of federal programs intended to promote use of bundled payment arrangements; and identify sources of funding to support providers in designing and implementing bundled payment initiatives. The division shall have as an objective, but not as a requirement, the implementation of pilot bundled payment programs relating to payment for at least 2 acute conditions or procedures commencing by no later than April 1, 2011, under the terms of which inpatient services, as well as certain services provided pre- and post-inpatient stay, will be paid on a bundled payment basis; and the implementation of pilot bundled payment programs relating to payment for at least 2 chronic conditions commencing by no later than July 1, 2011. The division shall file reports on the efforts it undertakes to provide support for providers and payers to enter into bundled arrangements and on the progress made toward implementing the goals described in the preceding sentence of this section. Such reports shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives and with the governor not later than January 31, 2011, not later than July 29, 2011 and not later than December 30, 2011.
Requires that the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy (DHCFP) encourage providers and payers to adopt a payment system on a bundled payment, rather than fee-for-service, basis to reduce costs and improve quality and coordination of health care services. DHCFP must assist providers and payers to adopt such a payment system by making technical support available to them. DHCFP must also examine existing and proposed bundled payment models and publish results of research, study the effects of federal programs that promote bundled payment systems, and identify financial resources that may become available to providers while they implement bundled payment systems. The statute encourages DHCFP to implement pilot bundled payment programs before April 1, 2011 for at least 2 acute conditions or procedures where health benefit payers will reimburse health care providers for inpatient services, as well as certain pre- and post-inpatient stay, on a bundled payment basis. DHCFP is also encouraged to implement additional pilot bundled payment programs for at least 2 chronic conditions by July 1, 2011. DHCFP must file reports with the legislature detailing the efforts it undertakes to support providers and payers to implement bundled payment programs and the progress it makes toward implement the encouraged pilot programs.
Session Law added by Section 64 of Chapter 288 of the Acts of 2010; last amended by section 117 of Chapter 359 of the Acts of 2010