Health system general counsel can play an important role in encouraging appropriate board and committee level briefings on the organizational implications of MACRA and other "transformational" alternative payment models. The most recent governance principles commentaries underscore the importance of focused board education on developments of strategic importance.
Certainly, payment reform stands out in terms of its broad-based impact on health care systems. The need for board awareness lies in the profound change MACRA and other APMs are expected to have on health systems: e.g., their physician relationships, strategic planning; mergers/acquisitions; capital budgeting and debt financing; information technology; human resources/employee benefits; quality of care and legal compliance. This suggests the need for a core level of full board training and education, with more focused training provided for individual committees whose charter responsibilities are implicated by the expected developments.
The general counsel is uniquely positioned to support this educational commitment, given the fundamental legal and regulatory implications of the payment reform; the general counsel's role as a primary advisor to the governance committee, and the general counsel's overall prominence within the organization.
Briefing Governance On Transition To APMs
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