Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government was handed an unprecedented set of tools to forge innovation in health care delivery through the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Now, as the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation begins its work, the goal is to achieve the vaunted “Triple Aim” of improving individuals’ experience of health care, improving the health of populations, and lowering health care costs.
The March issue of Health Affairs takes a detailed look at health care systems that are already moving ahead with needed innovations in the delivery of care. The issue details how fifteen organizations—ranging from health care systems to health plans and other health initiatives—are working to achieve the Triple Aim.
The new Health Affairs issue will be released at a briefing this morning in Washington D.C. Join us at the W Hotel Washington or follow the event through live Tweets at #HA_Innovation on HA_Events.
Profiles of the fifteen organizations, who presented their initiatives at Health Affairs’ Innovations across the Nation in Health Care Delivery conference on December 16, 2010, demonstrate that there are clear commonalities and common-sense strategies underpinning their success. At the same time, it is clear that change is hard and challenges remain. The profiles describe what these innovators have achieved despite myriad constraints, such as fragmented delivery systems and flawed payment structures, and suggest what could be accomplished if these constraints were eliminated.
Read more here.

