Minnetonka, Minn.-based health insurer UnitedHealthcare has launched a pilot to try a cancer care bundled payment model with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Under the program, care providers or hospitals will be reimbursed for a defined episode of care under a single fee or payment, shifting away from the fee-for-service structure.
The new, pre-priced payment model will focus on head and neck cancers and will attempt to provide a more holistic approach to cancer treatment by emphasizing quality, incentivizing focus on the essential elements of care and heeding the preferences of patients.
In the past, similar payment models have helped reduce costs while providing continuity of care and improving patient outcomes.
The three-year pilot will be conducted at MD Anderson's Head and Neck Center for up to 150 patients newly diagnosed with head and neck cancers who are enrolled in certain UnitedHealthcare plans.