VALUE-BASED CARE IMPROVES HEALTH FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS
Alternative Payment Models Allow Health Systems to Invest in Care Managers for Patients Who Need Them Most
Value-based care models reimburse hospitals, health systems, and other healthcare providers based, in part, on care quality and outcomes. These models allow health systems like Bayhealth in Delaware to invest in chronic care managers to help coordinate patients’ care and connect them with resources to address their medical and social needs.
Thomas's story:
Thomas was unhoused and struggling to manage multiple chronic health conditions. He had no access to electricity, which made it hard to take his medication that had to be stored at a specific temperature. He cooked his food over an open flame, which limited his diet and made it harder to control his diabetes.
Thomas started working with one of Bayhealth’s chronic care managers. She connected him with housing and other resources, helped coordinate his medical care, and worked with Thomas to identify his goals and make a plan to reach them.
Thomas now has his own apartment, and his health outcomes have improved across the board. He credits these improvements to the Bayhealth staff and is grateful to have such a dedicated team in his corner.
By focusing on patient outcomes and quality of care, value-based care models allow health systems such as Bayhealth to provide wrap-around support for patients living with chronic illnesses. Without continued support for value-based models, patients like Thomas might not get the support they need.
This patient story has been de-identified to protect patient privacy consistent with HIPAA – no real patient names are referenced, while the experience described reflects actual events.