If there's one thing most doctors, patients and lawmakers agree on when it comes to health care, it's that the fee-for-service model simply isn’t working. That model has been the standard for many years, but it creates an economic pressure for doctors and hospitals to administer more tests – which don’t necessarily make people any healthier.
But there’s little consensus on just how to set up a medical system that gives people the health care they need, and ensures that doctors and hospitals stay in the black.
Still, that hasn't stopped many health care professionals from trying. And one new approach is toward creating accountable care organizations - where providers are paid based on the quality of care and how well their patients respond.
The University of Vermont Medical Center and Dartmouth-Hitchcock created OneCare Vermont as part of these efforts, and both medical centers are working on improving the model.
VPR spoke with Dr. Robert Greene, the Executive Vice President and Chief Population Health Management Officer at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Listen to the interview above.
