Providers and health care delivery organizations will be interested in understanding how their reimbursement might be affected by bundled payment programs and how such programs may drive changes in the way they deliver care. In August 2011, CMS announced a large national bundled payment initiative. Payers, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), will be interested in understanding the effect of bundled payments on health care spending, as well as its quality. Those with an interest include policymakers, who need to understand the potential benefits and unintended consequences of bundled payment if considering it as alternative to fee-for-service payment. Given the widespread agreement that the current trend in growth of health care costs within the United States is unsustainable, this review provides valuable information to a broad group of audiences interested in bundled payments as one potential mechanism to reduce costs while also potentially improving quality.
