In a definitive agreement reached between the Boards of the two organizations, the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI3) has joined Altarum Institute. The two nonprofits can now combine their expertise, staff, and services to significantly bolster the country’s continued move toward higher value health care.

Over the course of fifteen years, HCI3 has developed some of the most respected alternative payment models in the United States, including its flagships Bridges To Excellence® and PROMETHEUS Payment® programs. It currently supports price and quality transparency efforts in a number of states, including Maryland, as well as efforts by New York to move to value-based payment. In addition, it supports efforts of major national and regional health plans.

Altarum’s nationally recognized work in measuring the sustainability of health spending and the engagement of consumers, supporting the transformation of physician practices and other provider enablement services, improving access to and treatment for behavioral health, and developing the breakthrough MedicaringTM model for frail elder care, all combine to solve some of the biggest challenges facing States.

“Over the past several years, we have shown that States can significantly improve the quality and affordability of health care,” said Lincoln Smith, Altarum’s President and CEO. “As the new administration takes office, it’s pretty clear that the federal government will actively support further local efforts to stimulate greater value for health care dollars spent. Combining HCI3’s expertise with the rest of Altarum gives us the opportunity to support state efforts everywhere in the country and make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans.”

Altarum’s Support Services, Impactful Solutions and Technical Assistance (ASSISTAnce) for States will include an assessment of the sustainability in health care spending, the determination of a specific target for achieving sustainability, an evaluation and quantification of high impact zones of improvements, the design of payment and delivery system reform projects, and the development of pilots and other interventions to achieve greater value.

“Our opportunities for positively impacting the industry are vastly expanded by becoming a part of Altarum,” said François de Brantes, HCI3’s former Executive Director and now Vice-President and Director of the Altarum Center for Payment Innovation. “What we could only dream of can now become a reality, and the entire HCI3 team is excited and energized to join Altarum.”

As Altarum’s new Center for Payment Innovation, HCI3 will continue its important work in developing better incentives for the supply and demand of health care services, expand its product offerings within the PROMETHEUS Analytics® suite, and maintain the publication of its report cards on price and quality transparency.

Altarum Institute (www.altarum.org) is a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering comprehensive, systems-based solutions that improve health and health care.