Improving Quality of Care in Oncology Through Healthcare Payment Reform

OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of alternative payment models (APMs) and describe how leading national organizations involved with oncology care and payment are linking quality improvement initiatives and payment reform. STUDY DESIGN: Literature review. METHODS: For this review, we summarized the literature on APMs and their goals of improving healthcare quality while jointly controlling the cost of care. We described the types of APMs that have been examined in the real-world setting, specifically in the area of oncology, and how they have affected the quality of oncology care. RESULTS: Currently, the following types of APMs are actively being explored by public-and private-sector insurers, specifically in oncology: accountable care organizations, bundled payments, clinical pathways, and patient-centered medical homes. To a great extent, the driving force behind implementing APMs tied to quality can be attributed to the initiatives of several leading national organizations, including the National Academy of Medicine, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, HHS, and CMS. Real-world evidence of APMs shows that progress is being made toward improving the quality of oncology care in the United States while simultaneously reducing costs. CONCLUSIONS: The effective pairing of quality initiatives with healthcare reimbursement structures will likely be key to the long-term success of such APMs.