Ideas about how to pay providers to improve quality and reduce costs are the starting point for many discussions about national health reform. A variety of solutions are being discussed to correct widespread deficiencies and increase value in our health care system—with concepts like “Accountable Care Organizations” and “medical homes” getting a lot of attention. There are others, however, that are transforming care and already being tested in real communities across America.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and experts in the field of health care payment came together to discuss these ideas during a luncheon briefing on June 10, 2009, in Washington, D.C. In this webcast of the event, listen to guest speakers provide an overview of the various payment models currently being discussed—identifying what they have in common and what separates them. Representatives from the PROMETHEUS Payment® project and its Rockford, Ill., pilot site report on how their project to reward high-quality, consumer-driven care allows providers who do the right things for patients to also do well financially. 

This event was moderated by Michael Painter, J.D., M.D., senior program officer for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Guest speakers included:

• Harold Miller, M.S., Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement
• François de Brantes, M.S., M.B.A., Bridges To Excellence, national coordinator, PROMETHEUS Payment
• Jim Knutson, Aircraft Gear Corporation, Rockford, Ill.
• Sara Rosenbaum, J.D., Department of Health Policy, George Washington University