Hospitals Must Create Stellar Post-Acute Care Networks to Meet New Medicare Payment Models

According to Modern Healthcare, When St. Luke’s University Health Network implemented bundled payments for 84 services under Medicare’s voluntary bundled-payment program, system leaders knew they needed to whittle down the list of preferred post-acute providers to improve outcomes and save costs.

By analyzing data and working with skilled-nursing facilities to improve their processes, the Bethlehem, Pa.-based seven-hospital system was able to drastically reduce readmissions and the length of patient stays at post-acute care facilities.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Premier, a group purchasing and healthcare quality improvement organization, used St. Luke as an example of creating strong networks. Premier on Wednesday released a guide to help hospitals develop post-acute care networks and get a handle on the wide variation in cost and quality of care across post-acute providers that can damage a hospital’s bottom line and keep it from earning incentives.

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Modern Healthcare – Hospitals must create stellar post-acute care networks to meet new Medicare payment models