Roadmap to Payment Innovation

he passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in March 2010 created the potential for millions of uninsured Americans to access quality health care. At the same time, the ACA contains unclear provisions that have created challenges for the health care industry to reduce costs without compromising quality of care.

Over the course of the past 18 months, a partnership evolved between The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) that resulted in the recent launch of the Community on Payment Innovations. This new online venue is dedicated to advancing the payment reform debate in order to foster an environment where patients can access high-quality care for the most affordable cost.

Led by Editor-in-Chief Len Nichols, PhD, the site encourages key stakeholders—cardiologists, pharmacists, hospital executives, government officials, and payers, including health plans and employers—to share best practices and innovative payment models that move away from the traditional fee-forservice system and instead reward high quality, cost-effective care and improved outcomes.

“Managed care is continuing to evolve under health care reform,” said Brian Haug, president of Intellisphere, publishers of AJMC. “Given the shared goals and vision of the ACC and AJMC, it was a natural decision to work together to develop an online environment that further cultivates and promotes best practices in care delivery and payment reform.”

The ACC has a rich history that began in 1949 with a group of 14 cardiovascular physicians who discovered they had a common mission—to continually advance the quality of cardiovascular care through the furtherance of science, education, and emerging initiatives. In recent years, the ACC has been a leader in the health care reform debate, launching Quality First, a major campaign to establish a new standard for health care reform centered on patient value and quality care.

“The ACC has long argued that payment reform is crucial to the success of real health care reform,” said Jack Lewin, MD, Chief Executive Officer of the ACC. “To date there is no one payment model that stands above the crowd. Partnering with AJMC on this Community opens up a much-needed forum for the health care community and other stakeholders to engage around this important topic and find a solution that meets the needs of patients, providers, and the government.”

To learn more about the Community on Payment Innovations, visit http://paymentinnovations.cardiosource.org.

About The American Journal of Managed Care

The American Journal of Managed Care is an independent, peer-reviewed publication dedicated to publishing original research in health care outcomes and creating a forum for scientific communication in the ever-evolving field of health care delivery. Please visit www.ajmc.com to review original research and other editorial content.

About the American College of Cardiology

The American College of Cardiology is transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health through continuous quality improvement, patient-centered care, payment innovation and professionalism. The College is a 39,000-member nonprofit medical society comprised of physicians, surgeons, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, and practice managers, and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet its stringent qualifications. The College is a leader in the formulation of health policy, standards, and guidelines, and is a staunch supporter of cardiovascular research. The ACC provides professional education and operates national registries for the measurement and improvement of quality care. More information about the association is available online at www.cardiosource.org/ACC.