Factors Limiting the Effectiveness of New Payment Models as Implemented

The implementation of new payment programs can uncover unanticipated problems that limit their effectiveness, at least temporarily. The physician practices in our sample described encountering a few key types of operational problems when participating in new payment programs. By taking steps to avoid or prepare for these stumbling points, designers and implementers of future payment programs might be able to enhance their likelihood of achieving program goals. First, physicians and practice leaders participating in a variety of alternative payment models (any model other than FFS) described encountering errors in data integrity and timeliness, performance measure specification, and patient attribution. These