Abstract

Everyone agrees that paying for services on a fee-for-service basis doesn't do enough to promote the delivery of high-value care. An alternative payment scheme for endocrinologists was developed by Our Enterprise, an integrated payer-provider with headquarters in Pittsburgh. In line with our strategy, endocrinologists' responsibilities will gradually transition from clinical to more collaborative roles with their primary care counterparts [1-15].This change allows endocrinologists to assist primary care physicians (PCPs) in managing patients with diabetes and other endocrinerelated illnesses while reducing the number of conventional in-office referrals to endocrinology, given that the majority of patients with diabetes are managed under primary care. Despite the unforeseen changes brought on by COVID,we saw its effects on care delivery and the connection between participating specialists and PCPs throughout the first nine months of the compensation model. Improvements in diabetes-specific quality indicators have been observed in practice and provider-level quality data. 16 of the 54 target practises received NCQA recognition for managing diabetes in just one year. A total of 88% of participating PCPs reported being at least 90% satisfied with the new plan. In the end, our model holds promise as a substitute for fee-for-service remuneration, with a chance of reducing costs and raising treatment quality.