Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) has introduced legislation that calls on HHS to pilot test “healthcare innovation zones” to improve patient outcomes while slowing the growth of healthcare costs.
“We're hopeful to get it into larger health reform legislation in the House,” said an aide to Schwartz. No specific cost estimates on the bill have been released.
The zones would partner academic medical centers with community entities that provide inpatient, outpatient, post-acute and preventive-care services. Alternative payment structures that reward quality and outcomes, rather than units of service would be promoted within these zones.
The Association of American Medical Colleges praised the legislation in a written statement.
“Our nation faces a complex healthcare crisis of access, quality and cost, and there is an urgent need to design and test large scale, innovative models to transform the way we deliver and pay for care,” said AAMC President and CEO Darrell Kirch. The legislation “will enable providers to truly reform delivery systems and improve the health of communities, he said.
The demonstration projects would operate for a period of at least three years, subject to renewal, according to the AAMC.
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