Shared-risk contracts between health plans and healthcare
providers are becoming increasingly common and sophisticated. As these
arrangements become more prevalent, there is an increasing amount of money at
stake between health plans and providers. Transparency and verification are
best practices in any relationship between parties that involves money, and
this includes provider risk-sharing agreements. A settlement audit prepared by
an independent third party is a recommended best practice for any organization
considering entering into or already participating in one of these
arrangements.
The underlying principle in these agreements is
straightforward: healthcare providers are in the best position to identify and
reduce unnecessary, duplicative, or inefficient care, and shared-risk
arrangements provide a financial incentive for providers to do just that. While
shared-risk contracts may be conceptually simple, the actual real-world
financial adjudication of them is usually complex.
This paper by Milliman consultants Colleen Norris and Tom Snook explores some proposed best practices for an independent audit of provider risk-sharing settlements, and discusses the value of this review for all parties involved.