| Gainsharing Gaining Favor At West Virginia Hospital
CAMC Memorial Hospital, home to the nation’s
fourth largest cardiology program, expected to save $2 million in 2009
through its participation in the Medicare Hospital Gainsharing
Demonstration, overseen by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS).
The Charleston, W.Va., hospital shared 50 percent of
that money with its cardiovascular surgeons, vascular surgeons, and
electrophysiologists who are making those savings possible.
Although the gainsharing concept is thought to hold
great potential for increasing healthcare efficiency. It is also
designed to prove that aligning the interests of referring physicians
and hospitals can also improve quality.
At the end of each quarter, CAMC analyzes its costs for
the cardiovascular diagnosis-related groups that are part of the
demonstration project. If costs increase relative to the baseline, no
gainsharing payments are made. If quality is maintained or improved,
costs decrease relative to the baseline, and the savings are attributed
to specific cost control initiatives then 50 percent of the savings are
shared with physicians.
"If quality goes down in the demonstration project, then
there are no payments to the physicians." said Bill Adams, CAMC
Memorial’s administrator.
For more information on CAMC Memorial Hospital, visit www.camc.org.
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