On June 3, 2020, Dr. Stephen B. Kemble, a psychiatrist and former Hawaii Health Authority member, drafted an op-ed covering our report “Trouble in Paradise: Assessing the Outcomes of Payment Transformation in Hawai’i.” In his op-ed, Dr. Kemble notes that HMSA’s Payment Transformation has some positive attributes, such as paying practitioners regardless of whether a patient comes into the office or not. This feature is especially beneficial in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, where telehealth has become vital. However, Dr. Kemble also notes that Payment Transformation also imposes excessive administrative burdens and costs, creates perverse incentives to skimp on care and avoid sicker patients, and offers inadequate capitation rates, among other problems. He ultimately calls on all Hawai’i insurers to substantially increase payment for primary care. Read his op-ed, which was published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser here.
Last Updated on June 4, 2020 by Aimed Alliance
