It’s the Right Time to Practice Medicine the Right Way

The first question providers typically ask when talking about a value-based reimbursement arrangement is, “How much risk is involved?”

It’s an absolutely essential question. On its own, however, it fails to acknowledge  the worthiest reason for moving to risk-based agreements: increased positive patient outcomes. As with so many things exposed by the coronavirus pandemic, this fact became abundantly clear at IKP Family Medicine earlier this year.

IKP is a 10-provider practice in northwest Houston that has participated in various risk-based reimbursement models since opening its doors in 2005. Some of our revenue currently comes from capitated contracts. So, when COVID-19 lockdowns pushed routine in-person visits to telehealth, our providers were able to quickly adapt to whatever workflows made the most sense for each patient—without worrying about “per service” reimbursement rules. For some patients, that meant conducting video visits. For others, plain old-fashioned phone calls delivered a more satisfying care experience.