Health Plan Incentive Program to Improve Access to and Treatment of Palliative Appropriate Patients
In a study published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, researchers examined the benefits of palliative care within a health plan incentive program for Medicare Advantage members with serious illness. Members who received an inpatient palliative care consultation had lower total costs of care than a matched comparison group who did not, with cost differences ranging from $4,485 to $4,827. Referrals to community-based palliative care increased dramatically, rising 650% in 2022 and 147% in 2023 compared with 2021. The authors suggest that redesigning incentive program eligibility to target sicker populations can help improve palliative care delivery and care coordination.