Duke 2008 | ASHE | Equity and Efficiency in Health and Healthcare

Since the Institute of Medicine called for better alignment of provider payment with a national agenda to improve health care quality, performance incentives have become the subject of intense interest and debate. The profile and importance of this issue has been heightened by policy developments within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services, including changes in the way Medicare accounts for “preventable” complications in the Prospective Payment System and the establishment of pay for performance for hospitals in FY 2009. Papers included in this panel will examine explicit and implicit performance incentives in health care payment systems. The work featured will address both productive and unintended consequences of performance incentives on physician behavior. Panel discussion will be focused on the implications for health care payment reform in the U.S. Discussants represent a broad range of viewpoints including industry, policy, and academic research.