The Arkansas Health Care Payment Improvement Initiative (AHCPII) is designed to transition Arkansas to a “patient-centered” healthcare system that embraces the triple aim of (1) improving the health of the population; (2) enhancing the patient experience of care, including quality, access, and reliability; and (3) reducing, or at least controlling, the cost of health care. At its core, the multi-payer, statewide system is built around patient-centered care delivery models focusing on what the patient needs, rather than being designed around any particular delivery system structure. AHCPII is led by the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ Medicaid Program with substantial input from technical development workgroups, stakeholders, and the largest private payers and employers in the state. AHCPII is designed to reward physicians, hospitals, and other providers who give patients high-quality care at an appropriate cost.
With over six years of progress, the statewide, multi-payer implementation of Arkansas’s Health Care Payment Improvement Initiative (AHCPII) has positioned Arkansas as a national leader in value-based healthcare innovation. Since the first components were launched in the summer of 2012, AHCPII has supported and incentivized delivery of high-quality, efficient care for a large and increasing number of the state’s citizens. As a key part of the state’s total health system transformation effort, the AHCPII serves as a value-based payment framework that supports healthcare providers while achieving goals that include improving quality, expanding access, and avoiding unnecessary costs.
