Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealthcare introduced a value-based bundled payment for certain knee, hip and spine procedures performed by surgeons and facilities that are UnitedHealthcare Centers of Excellence.
The initiative — called the Spine and Joint Solution — provides bundled rates for certain procedures like knee and hip replacement, spinal fusion and spinal disc repair. The single payment for one episode of care, like a spinal disc repair, is a shift away from a fee-for-service model.
More than 40 healthcare facilities in 25 markets nationwide are in the program. The insurer plans to expand to more than 40 markets in 2017. Since the program's 2015 pilot, employers have saved $10,000 or more per operation on average.