Care coordination through local partnerships: A needed policy paradigm

Care coordination is essential to improving a fragmented health care system. Value-based payment models such as accountable care organizations and bundled payments encourage providers to coordinate patient care across clinicians and care settings. Dedicated billing codes seek to do the same for chronic disease and post-hospital discharge transitions. Providers have increasingly implemented population health and care management programs to coordinate services for populations, particularly those at high risk of frequent health care utilization and poor outcomes.