Asthma Care Link
The Asthma Care Link (ACL) program is designed to enhance care delivery and management for patients diagnosed with asthma. Physicians who demonstrate excellent performance can earn a fixed bonus per year for each patient whose employer or health plan participates in BTE. These rewards are funded from the savings achieved through lower health care costs, and the increased employee productivity that results from higher quality of asthma care.
Asthma is a major cause of illness worldwide, with increasing prevalence in both children and adults. Over 20 million Americans suffer from asthma (with many more suspected undiagnosed cases) with annual treatment costs estimated at over $3.2billion as well as 14 million lost work and school days every year. With increasing asthma related costs and disease burden expected there is clearly a need to encourage more effective management and treatment of this condition.
BTE is addressing this need by working with asthma experts to develop measures to assess and reward superior physician performance. To earn incentives through the Asthma Care Link (ACL) program, physicians must meet benchmarks on measures as lung function test and monitoring, appropriate asthma medication therapy, smoking cessation, and receipt of annual influenza vaccination. Those who do will improve the overall health and well-being of patients, while reducing the risk of potentially avoidable complications.
To view the Asthma Care Link (ACL) program measures click here.
Does obtaining recognition improve the quality of health care?
The program is designed with an understanding that patients may seek the care of various types of practitioners-primary care (PCPs), pulmonologists (PULM) and Allergy and Immunology specialists (AI)-for treatment and management of their asthma. Accordingly, the measures reflect that physicians should do the following:
Provide high-quality care from the outset of patient contact
Understand and consider previous treatment history to help avoid inappropriate treatment
What is the duration of recognition?
For Asthma Care Link (ACL) recognitions achieved on or before December 31, 2009, remain in effect for 3 years from the date on which a PAO awards recognition. Beginning January 1, 2010, the ACL recognition duration will be shortened to 2 years from the date on which a PAO awards recognition.
How will the public know which physicians have obtained recognition?
All BTE rewards eligible and/or qualified physicians and/or practices that are recognized by a Performance Assessment Organization, such as Masspro and MNCM as providing a high quality of care in the BTE Asthma Care Link (ACL) program are promoted on BTE’s list of ACL- recognized physicians on the HealthGrades Physician Quality Ratings website. To identify physicians in your area who demonstrate a high level of performance in providing care, go to one of these two directories
Please note that some of this information such as reward amounts could be specific to a region. For market specifics, go to your local BTE region page.