News

July 23, 2014Washington, D.C. - Representatives Diane Black (R-TN) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) introduced H.R. 5183 - The V-BID for Better Care Act of 2014 to establish a regional demonstration program for Medicare Advantage plans that allows the utilization of Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID) to reduce beneficiary cost-sharing for selected high-value prescription medications, providers, and clinical services related to chronic disease care.  A summary of the bill and official release are available.  A companion bill, S.2783 was introduced in the Senate in September of 2014.Specifically, the bipartisan, bicameral bills direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a three-year demonstration program allowing participating Medicare Advantage plans to test V-BID principles of reduced copayments and coinsurance for high-performing providers, evidence-based medications, or clinical services related to specific chronic disease care, while explicitly prohibiting plans from increasing copayments or coinsurance to discourage use of services.Evidence is accumulating that V-BID programs improve quality, reduce disparities, and in some circumstances, lower [...]

Washington, D.C. February 21, 2014 -- The CMS Innovation Center issued a 2015 call letter seeking to partner with private payers to test innovations including - but not limited to - V-BID, beneficiary engagement, incentives, and/or care coordination to lower costs and improve quality for Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries (Section begins on page 113).  A new blog post from the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) is available. The University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design leads in research, development, and advocacy for innovative health benefit plans.

January 15, 2014 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-OR, and Johnny Isakson, R-GA, and U.S. Representatives Erik Paulsen, R-MN, and Peter Welch, D-VT, introduced legislation to improve care coordination for the millions of Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions and to expand the use of multi-disciplinary health teams to keep patients as healthy as possible in their homes and communities. The Better Care, Lower Cost Act of 2014 (S.1932) creates the voluntary "Better Care Program" (BCP) that is open to Medicare enrollees suffering from chronic conditions.  BCPs have the ability to lower cost-sharing on services and provider visits that provide the most value for an enrollee's chronic conditions, the basic premise of Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID).  Participating plans and practices would receive newly calculated risk-adjusted, capitated payments rewarding better health outcomes for enrolled beneficiaries.  A press packet and summary of the bill are also available. The University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance [...]

August 1, 2013 LANSING, MI - Yesterday’s 20-18 Senate vote made Michigan the 25th state in the nation to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.  The new plan—Healthy Michigan—will provide coverage to an additional 470,000 residents over the next several years.  Among the provisions of the Senate version of House Bill 4714, Healthy Michigan relies on Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID) to improve access, control costs, and enhance personal responsibility. Section 105d(1)(e) permits health plans to waive copays “to promote greater access to services that prevent the progression and complications related to chronic disease.”  Health plans may also reduce enrollee contributions for meeting certain healthy behavior goals or addressing unhealthy behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco use, substance use disorders, and obesity.  Moreover, Section 105d(1)(f) of the new law explicitly calls for the creation of a clinically nuanced value-based design:  “By July 1, 2014, design and implement a [...]