Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Massachusetts may cap per-patient costs with "accountable care organizations"
Massachusetts once again is considering a plan to change how hospitals and providers are paid, moving away from fee-for-service and toward global provider payments. The state hopes to have a proposal ready for lawmakers by January that would require provider groups to create "accountable care organizations" that coordinate patient care and cap per-patient spending so as to cut down on the number of unneeded tests. The Boston Globe