New SGO Course Explains Valuable Fundamentals of Alternative Payment Models

SGO ConnectEd now offers a new on-demand course covering Alternative Payment Models (APMs) developed by members of SGO’s Future of Physician Payment Reform Subcommittee.

“This educational course, ‘An Update on Payment Reform in Cancer Care,’ provides a primer on recent payment reform models in the shift from traditional fee for service to value-based payment models,” says Margaret Liang, MD, Gynecologic Oncologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Vice-Chair of the Future of Physician Payment Reform Subcommittee.

Over the past few years, gynecologic oncologists have seen an increase in new APMs aimed to optimize care savings, including bundled payments, Accountable Care Organizations, and Patient-Centered Medical Homes. This course is divided into five modules that cover the basics of these APMs, with an up-close look at the Oncology Care Model (OCM), the Endometrial Cancer APM developed by SGO, and other payment models that are relevant to gynecologic oncology.

The course also reviews strategies for quality tracking and risk adjustment within value-based APMs. For example, viewers learn how a total risk-adjusted factor is calculated for Medicare Annual Payments, as well as tips on how to manage documentation and coding to maximize payments.

“The content is pertinent to all audiences, particularly physicians, trainees, and advanced practice providers, who may want more information about how payment reform affects day-to-day delivery of gynecologic oncology care and what changes are on the horizon” says Dr. Liang.

With new APMs in the pipeline and a strong shift to value-based payment structures, this course on payment reform is a valuable resource to understand the fundamentals of these models.