Innovation & Insights

The Physician and Payer Strategies That Will Make or Break Health Systems

10 April 2023

Providence Health Plan talks value-based care and the importance of trust and transparency onstage at Becker’s Hospital Review 13th Annual Meeting

“Making people feel better is why we do this. How many other industries get to do that?”
- Mark Cuban 

Providence Health Plan (PHP) CEO Don Antonucci joined healthcare industry experts onstage at the Becker’s Hospital Review 13th Annual Meeting in Chicago for a panel titled, “The Physician and Payer Strategies That Will Make or Break Health Systems in the Next 5 Years."

Panelists who participated in the discussion alongside Don were Banner Health President and CEO Amy Perry, Kaiser Permanente Executive Vice President and CMO Dr. Andrew Bindman, and Sentara Healthcare President and CEO Dennis Matheis. The panel was moderated by Becker's Healthcare Associate News Director Editor Jakob Emerson. 

Read on for key session takeaways from Don on topics like the benefits of value-based care models, plan and delivery system integration, and the importance of trust and transparency. 

Advantages of integrating health plans & delivery systems

With over 30 years in the healthcare industry, Don shared the three advantages he’s found with integrating a health plan and delivery system that are pivotal in maintaining quality offerings and services.

Starting with a common set of values: He shared that starting with a “why” and aligning on the mission and promise, impacts decisions made for members, patients, and providers.

Removing data red tape: He also shared how the speed of information available can make all the difference stating that the perspective he has now about barriers to access and impacts on costs are different having an insider view.

Trust is key: His third and final advantage shared was trust. “Trust comes from working together, closely,” he said. “Having interactions with those in the delivery system regularly builds trust within that system and allows opportunities to build trust with new partners and expand across geographies.”

Cost savings and transparency for better care

Using COVID as an example, Don shared his perspective on how the pandemic shed light on inefficiencies and waste in spending. “When I think about value-based care, what we’re really talking about is aligning providers with quality incentives, while reducing the cost of care,” he said.

“If we don't get curious and disrupt ourselves in this industry to make meaningful change, others like Mark Cuban or the Amazon’s of the world are going to go do it for us.” - Don Antonucci

He went on to say that as an industry, we know where the opportunities are to drive out waste and coordinate care more effectively. We need to do more to make this a priority because that's what we would want for our own family and friends.

Value-based care and the member journey

When asked about his advice to health systems, having been on the payer side for decades, he shared his thoughts on simplifying the members' journey. “Make sure everything you are doing makes things simple, easy, and addresses the entire person,” he said. “Create pathways and journeys for members that allow for simpler care navigation. It shows you know them and you’re listening to their needs.” He went on to reiterate one of the greatest advantages of integration between a health plan and delivery system is knowing the full picture of a person, whether through the electronic health records or information received through a provider's office—it all comes together.

Thank you to Becker’s Hospital Review, panelist and moderators, and all the healthcare industry leaders  who joined in discussions both on and off the stage. We look forward to continuing these conversations, getting curious, and taking innovative action to make healthcare better for our communities.