Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1119391
16 SPINE SURGEONS UnitedHealthcare to expand bundled payments to Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, including total joints and spine By Laura Dyrda U nitedHealthcare will expand BPCI Bundled Payments to include Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in 2020. Five things to know: 1. e insurer plans to launch the UnitedHealthcare Care Bundles program on Jan. 1, 2020, which will of- fer bundled payments for Medicare Advantage plans in more than 30 states. 2. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries will be able to participate in bundled payments for eight proce- dures, including hip replacement, knee replacement and non-cervical spinal fusions. 3. e bundled payments offer a set price for treat- ment and follow-up care. "Our extensive data and technology experience positions UnitedHealthcare to collaborate with care providers to support better health and better care at a lower cost," said Jeff Mey- erhofer, president of bundled payment solutions for UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement. 4. Care providers that participate in the bundles will receive scalable services and support, including care management solutions to improve the patient experience. e materials clinicians receive include preoperative education, patient engagement tools, performance analytics, consulting and payment ad- ministration services. 5. UnitedHealthcare aims to have $75 billion in reim- bursement tied to value-based care annually by the end of 2020; the payer currently has around 3 million people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans that have provid- ers participating in value-based models. n Medicare ACOs and spine surgery: 5 things to know By Laura Dyrda A study published in The Spine Journal examined how Medi- care ACOs affect spine surgery patients. The study analyzed patients who underwent spine surgery, either as an ACO or non-ACO member. Researchers compared results from the 2009-2011 timeframe to those collected in 2012- 2014. Study authors found: 1. Nine percent of the ACO and non-ACO patients underwent sur- gery between 2009 and 2011. From 2012 to 2014, 8 percent of the non-ACO participants underwent surgery. 2. The ACO group reported the same percentage of patients un- dergoing surgery from the 2009-2011 timeframe as the 2012-2014 timeframe. 3. Both groups reported similarly increased mortality risk over the study period. In the ACO group, the researchers found a significant increase in complications over the study period. 4. The readmission rates were the same for both groups between the first and second study periods. 5. The study authors concluded that ACOs didn't alter the spine care delivery or outcomes for patients with spinal fractures. "As ACOs continue to evolve, more emphasis should be placed on the incorporation of measures directly related to surgical and trauma care in the determinants of risk-based measurements," they con- cluded. n The study authors concluded that ACOs didn't alter the spine care delivery or outcomes for patients with spinal fractures.