Mayo Clinic, Other Healthcare Stakeholders Say Reform Should Mean Paying for Value

With lower reimbursement under Medicare, many providers—both hospitals and physicians—are reaching a point where they cannot afford to see Medicare patients, according to the letter. Expanding any "Medicare-type plan without a method to define, measure and pay for healthy outcomes for patients" will move providers over a threshold where they cannot provide care, which would "ultimately hurt the patients who seek our care."

The healthcare letter-writers did note that they "were encouraged" by other ideas that move toward paying for value"—such as a expanding the powers of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission at the federal level—to develop "value-based payment methodologies for Medicare." During the past few days, the White House has put more emphasis on creating this independent board of physicians and hospitals.

In addition to the Mayo Clinic, the letter was signed by leaders from the following organizations: Altru Health System, Dartmouth Hitchcock Health, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Group Health Cooperative, Gunderson Lutheran Health System, HealthPartners (MN), Lahey Clinic, Marshfield Clinic, McFarland Clinic, Northwest Physicians Network, North Texas Specialty Physicians, Scott & White Healthcare, Sutter Independent Physicians, College of Medicine Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, and Virginia Mason Health System.