[Skip to Navigation]
Sign In
Viewpoint
January 2018

Conceptualizing Partnerships Between Private Payers and Medicare for Quality Improvement Initiatives

Author Affiliations
  • 1Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  • 2Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative, Ann Arbor
JAMA Surg. 2018;153(1):4-5. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2017.3784

The US federal government is interested in approaches to improving health care cost-effectiveness. Procedural care, which refers primarily to surgical procedures, should be an important target for innovation, since these interventions account for more than 50% of national health care expenses.1-3 Curiously, little focus on procedural care has been evident so far. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has initiated efforts to improve surgical quality, for example, through the Hospital Acquired Conditions program. However, these efforts are limited in scope, have a punitive component, and are unpopular with physicians.

Add or change institution
×