IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS FACING TERMINAL ILLNESS
Alternative Payment Models Help Medicare Patients Access Personalized, Dignified End-of-Life Care
Value-based care models pay hospitals and providers, in part, on the quality of services delivered and outcomes achieved. These models enable healthcare organizations like Coastal Carolina Quality Care in North Carolina to help patients facing terminal illness stay comfortable at home and navigate end-of-life care on their terms.
For healthcare providers nationwide, this kind of personalized, palliative care is only possible because of Medicare’s alternative payment model program.
Wanda’s story:
Wanda lived with a serious lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for years. Despite having limited mobility and relying on oxygen, she managed her condition with help from her care team at Coastal Carolina Quality Care.
When Wanda’s condition worsened, it became clear that further treatment would do little to slow the progression of her disease, and Wanda and her family decided to pursue palliative care. Wanda’s care team helped them understand options and create a personalized care plan. This included services like in-home physician visits, medications to keep her comfortable, and afterhours access to her physician and care team, which are not typically covered and were only made possible by the 5% incentive for value-based care.
Wanda passed away quietly in her home one month later. Her care team was with her until the end, providing vital caregiving and emotional support that enabled her to face the end of life on her terms in the place she was most comfortable.
Because value-based care focuses on outcomes, healthcare organizations like Coastal Carolina Quality Care use the 5% incentive to provide patients with coordinated, personalized care at every stage of life. Without continued support for value-based models, patients like Wanda may not get the support or care 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.