WHEN THE COST OF HEART MEDICATIONS CAUSES A SHOCK
Alternative Payment Models Help Patients Transition Safely From Hospital to Home
Value-based care models reimburse hospitals, health systems, and other healthcare providers based, in part, on care quality and outcomes. These models allow accountable care organizations like Buena Vida y Salud in Texas to invest in care coordination programs to help chronically ill patients safely discharge from, and stay out of, the hospital.
Bruce's story:
When Bruce was discharged from the hospital, he wasn’t sure how he was going to afford his heart failure medication. He was already struggling to pay rent, leaving him with an impossible choice: Do I fill my prescription or keep a roof over my head?
Luckily, Bruce was part of Buena Vida y Salud’s heart failure readmission reduction program, which brings together hospital staff, primary care physicians, case managers, and others to coordinate patients’ post-discharge care. A case manager checked in on Bruce shortly after he left the hospital and, after hearing about his housing concerns, helped him find a rental assistance program.
Because of the case manager’s support, Bruce was able to keep his apartment, fill his prescription, and remain out of the hospital. Without the Buena Vida y Salud team, he isn’t sure where he would be today.
By focusing on patient outcomes and quality of care, value-based care models allow accountable care organizations like Buena Vida y Salud to coordinate all aspects of patient care, including addressing social drivers of health like housing instability. Without continued support for value-based models, patients like Bruce 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.