Taking Advantage of Health and Payment Reform to Promote Healthier Communities

This is a time of great change within the health system - including the public health agencies at the local, state and federal levels – which will have a significant impact on the health of older adults.  While uneven in their impact given the different conditions in the country, the national trends are health care reform resulting in more people with health insurance, payment reform resulting in a movement away from fee-for-service towards value-based contracting and health delivery reform resulting in a greater emphasis on patient-centered medical homes.   As a leader at CDC I will share a national perspective on what those trends are, the ways that they will likely contribute to a new level of partnership between community and clinical sectors and what this may mean for older adults.  I will highlight some of the specific new models.  Some models create unprecedented linkages between public health departments and other sectors of the communities – such as city planning, transportation and public safety  - to create conditions that make the default behaviors ones that are healthier.  Other models create financial incentives for clinicians to pay attention to what is needed to support patients in their homes and communities to promote wellness, avoid chronic illnesses and prevent hospitalizations.  These various approaches might result in effective integrated and comprehensive initiatives to help older adults stay independent longer and have a better quality of life.