Bill Clinton made an effort, albeit unsuccessful, to advance his healthcare reform agenda.  George W. Bush didn’t get very far, either.  Now, after outlining plans during his two-year campaign, it’s President Barack Obama’s turn to try to implement his vision for healthcare reform.
Healthcare reform as a campaign platform is intended to appeal to the largest possible audience while providing sound bites that are easily learned and repeated by the affected public.  But for physicians, who are often overlooked in the major bullet points, how will President Obama’s initiatives directly affect …

Central to the nation’s health care reform agenda is the principle of value-based reform – restructuring provider payment incentives to control volume growth and to optimize efficiency, quality and access. Four value-based payment methodologies are currently receiving considerable attention from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), and may shape physician reimbursement in the near future: bundled payments, gainsharing, the use of the medical home to coordinate care, and pay-for-performance arrangements. This month, bundled payment pilots are being launched around the country. …