Health insurance outcome-based purchasing: The case of hospital contracting for cardiac interventions in the Netherlands

Innovative forms of value-based purchasing contracts, based on outcome instead of volume, are imperative to face the imminent cost crisis in health care. The objective of this study was to design and implement a model for an outcome-based purchasing contract between a hospital and a health insurance company. The model was implemented in 2015. A study cohort (n = 14,944) from patients with coronary artery disease or atrial fibrillation treated in 2014 was compared to a historical reference cohort from patients treated between 2010 and 2013. The outcome measures and the model are based on Porter's value-based healthcare principles. Improvements in outcomes were observed, leading to a financial incentive to be spent on further quality improvement. Implementation of this model is a first step towards enabling inclusion of patient-relevant outcomes in purchasing for healthcare. It aligns the focus of health insurance companies and hospitals on patient value.