Increased focus on quality
Employers are increasing their focus on healthcare quality and value by a variety of strategies, including the use of Centers of Excellence (COE), high performance networks and advanced primary care strategies. More than one in four large employers (27 percent) will expand their COE offerings to address additional conditions or procedures, including orthopedics. In fact, nearly half of large employers will have COEs for musculoskeletal conditions in place next year. In addition, more employers are turning to COE models for fertility and maternity programs. Many employers are expanding the use of incentives to boost employee use of COEs, the NBGH polling shows.