Cost, Resource Use, and Efficiency

The risk-adjusted relative resource use by health plan members with specific cardiovascular conditions during the measurement year.

The risk-adjusted relative resource use by health plan members with COPD during the measurement year.

The risk-adjusted relative resource use by health plan members with diabetes (type 1 and type 2) during the measurement year.

The Routine Cataract Removal with Intraocular Lens (IOL) Implantation cost measure evaluates clinicians’ risk-adjusted cost to Medicare for beneficiaries who receive this procedure. The cost measure score is a clinician’s average risk-adjusted cost for the episode group averaged across all episodes attributed to the clinician. This procedural measure includes costs of services that are clinically related to the attributed clinician’s role in managing care during the 60 days prior to the clinical event that opens or ‘triggers’ the episode, through 90 days after the trigger.

The Screening/Surveillance Colonoscopy cost measure evaluates clinicians’ risk-adjusted cost to Medicare for beneficiaries who receive this procedure. The cost measure score is a clinician’s average risk-adjusted cost for the episode group averaged across all episodes attributed to the clinician. This procedural measure includes costs of services that are clinically related to the attributed clinician’s role in managing care from the day of the clinical event that opens or ‘triggers’ the episode, through 14 days after the trigger.

Total Cost of Care reflects a mix of complicated factors such as patient illness burden, service utilization and negotiated prices. Total Cost Index (TCI) is a measure of a primary care provider’s risk adjusted cost effectiveness at managing the population they care for. TCI includes all costs associated with treating members including professional, facility inpatient and outpatient, pharmacy, lab, radiology, ancillary and behavioral health services.

The Total Per Capita Cost (TPCC) measure assesses the overall cost of care delivered to a beneficiary with a focus on the primary care they receive from their provider(s). The TPCC measure score is a clinician’s average risk-adjusted and specialty-adjusted cost across all beneficiary months attributed to the clinician during a one year performance period.

The Resource Use Index (RUI) is a risk adjusted measure of the frequency and intensity of services utilized to manage a provider group’s patients. Resource use includes all resources associated with treating members including professional, facility inpatient and outpatient, pharmacy, lab, radiology, ancillary and behavioral health services.

A Resource Use Index when viewed together with the Total Cost of Care measure (NQF-endorsed #1604) provides a more complete picture of population based drivers of health care costs.