Realignment of Health System Incentives

Altarum Institute, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (PROVIDED BY APPLICANT): The topic of this conference is health system incentives and how they can be realigned to achieve health system transformation. The key features of the proposed conference are its: comprehensiveness; integrated framework; explicit consideration of vulnerable populations; emphasis on testable pilot projects; and focus on a research agenda developed in accordance with an audience of the relevant stakeholders. The conference will address transformative goals for six health system objectives: (1) effective prevention - healthy behaviors and environments; (2) a transparent and value-driven health care delivery system - preventive and minor acute; (3) a value-driven health care delivery system - chronic and major acute; (4) value-driven research and innovation; (5) a crisis-ready public health system; and (6) a sustainable financing system with universal access to essential health system services. Incentives will be defined broadly to include not only economic incentives but other motivating factors. Low income and special needs populations are often ignored in discussions of incentives - particularly financial ones. However, such populations must be a part of health system transformation and will be explicitly addressed. We will commission six papers for this conference - one per objective. Authors will be selected from among the top up-and-coming researchers in their respective domains (examples of potential candidates are shown in our proposal). The research will be managed as an integrated team effort involving all six authors, Altarum leaders, and our external advisory group consisting of John Iglehart, James Knickman, and David Kindig. While authors will be individually responsible for their own papers, the group will meet at the start of the project and at later stages to agree upon common terminology and definitions and to share, discuss, and coordinate overlapping areas. The conference will be held in Washington, DC with a tentative date of June 26, 2009. All presentations will be conducted in plenary sessions. We anticipate three sessions of presentations, each consisting of two presenters and discussion, ending with a wrap-up fourth session of a panel discussion involving all presenters. A health official from the new Administration will be invited to serve as a luncheon speaker. We plan for an audience of about 150 persons representing researchers, policy analysts, and congressional staff. Dissemination plans include publication of papers in a special issue of a leading journal. Dr. Charles Roehrig, PhD, an Altarum health economist and vice president, will serve as principal investigator, assisted by Mr. Paul Hughes-Cromwick, an Altarum Senior Policy Analyst. Jennifer McIntosh, who leads Altarum's Conference and Project Management practice area, will serve as conference manager. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]