Pay for performance has captured the fancy of policymakers in the U.S., U.K. and Australia, which have integrated financial incentives or disincentives into national healthcare programs. But these efforts may be based on weak evidence, according to an analysis published online Aug. 14 in BMJ. The authors provided a checklist to guide policy makers past pitfalls while an editorial dissected the assumptions behind the pay-for-performance concept.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island hopes to expand the care it provides preterm babies and their families with a $3.2 million grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) healthcare innovation awards program. All four of Rhode Islands congressional lawmakers met with local providers at the hospital on Aug. 15 to hear how the money will help them deliver higher quality care at lower costs.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking public comment to inform a new version of an ICD-10 industry readiness assessment, which the agency will use to survey 1,200 healthcare stakeholders from various sectors to gauge progress made toward the transition to ICD-10, according to an Aug. 10 notice in the Federal Register.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Optimus Healthcare Partners has launched an accountable care organization (ACO) that will include 42 primary care practices and 104 primary care physicians that treat more than 40,000 patients in 11 counties.

Implementing a collaborative quality initiative can reduce inappropriate use of cardiac CT angiography (CCTA) by 60 percent, according to results of a study published online Aug. 8 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. All referring physician specialties lowered inappropriate use rates in the study.

The increasing number of integrated health systems mostly includes commercial organizations, but integrated public health systems are necessary to provide quality care to patients relying on a safety net, according to research published in the August issue of Health Affairs. Their investigation of 10 California counties that have attempted to integrate safety net healthcare services offers a glimpse into what healthcare will be like when millions join the ranks of the insured and payment reforms begin taking hold.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule aims to align the physician quality reporting system with similar quality reporting initiatives to reduce the burden on providers, according to an Aug. 7 National Provider Call.

Emerging healthcare payment models underscore the widespread belief that reducing hospital admissions will reduce healthcare costs, and although there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to accomplishing this goal, there are lessons hospitals can look to, according to a CSC report published in July.