Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar recently spoke to the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) about delivering positive, value-based care outcomes, particularly addressing fears over government micro-managing. Here are some of the highlights from the Secretary’s speech:

• “We have more alternative payment models, more coordinated care, and more value-based compensation than ever before. But the results we hope for haven’t always materialized. As just one example, we saw in the analysis CMS released at the beginning of August that the burgeoning number of Accountable Care Organizations have not delivered significant savings when all costs and incentives are taken into account.”
• “We are going to tell you the what—better care at a lower price—and we’re going to reward you for delivering it. But how you deliver it is up to you.”
• “Getting better value from our health system and paying for value requires empowering patients to be consumers. But realistically, patients will also need physicians to help them navigate the healthcare system—and we need to give those physicians the right incentives to guide patients in making choices that will lead to good outcomes.”

You can read Secretary Azar’s full remarks here.