How can health plans demonstrate the value of being insured to their members? For more than 30 years, health plans have reported on a set of quality measures used by the government and third-party ratings organizations to help individuals make decisions about their health coverage. At Kaiser Permanente , we believe the current quality measurement framework is insufficient to show the true value that value-based systems like Kaiser Permanente deliver to their members and patients. In a new publication in NEJM Catalyst, we’re sharing one of the ways that we’re advancing how quality is measured — and how being a Kaiser Permanente member is associated with a lower rate of premature mortality measured as “years of life lost” compared to non-KP members from the same communities where our members live. The study used a methodology developed by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. What could be more valuable than that? While we can’t draw a causal link between Kaiser Permanente membership and the rate of premature mortality, the study illustrates important associations between those who have our coverage and their better health outcomes. This is true across demographic groups. We hope that this pioneering methodology serves as a model for other health systems to adopt as we increasingly shift to value-based models of care and coverage. Together, we can – and should — align on measures that more meaningfully demonstrate the value of health coverage. https://lnkd.in/eMH92TtD
