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Cardiac Care Link 

The Cardiac Care Link (CCL) program is focused on improving the quality of care for patients with cardiovascular disease. Physicians who demonstrate they are top performers in cardiac care can earn up to $200 per year for each cardiac patient covered by a participating health plan and/or employer. Participants fund these incentives from the savings they achieve through lower health care costs and increased individual productivity that results from the delivery of higher quality of cardiovascular care. Therefore, CCL is a win-win-win situation for physicians, plans, employers and patients.

To view the Cardiac Care Link (CCL) program measures click here.

Check out the Cardiac Care Analysis- Savings Estimate (PDF).

To attain the rewards available through the BTE CCL reward program, eligible physicians must demonstrate that they provide high levels of cardiac care to patients with ischemic vascular disease by meeting the criteria set forth by the program. There are two different paths available to physicians for CCL recognition:

  1. NCQA: Physicians or practices that qualify for NCQA’s Heart Stroke Recognition Program (HSRP) assessment program will be recognized by BTE for the Cardiac Care Link (CCL) program at the corresponding level (i.e. HSRP Level I= CCL Level I). To achieve HSRP recognition, physicians must submit data on outcome and process measures for a sample of their patients with ischemic vascular disease.  

  2. Automated Performance Assessment System: Physicians or practices connected to a BTE participating data aggregator (i.e. EMR vendor, Health Information Exchange, Care Management Software) may have their data submitted on their behalf to an independent Performance Assessment Organization (PAO) for an automated evaluation of their cardiovascular care. Physicians or practices who demonstrate that they provide high levels of cardiac care are recognized in the BTE Cardiac Care Link (CCL) program at Levels I-III.

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), cardiologists (Cards) and neurologists (Neuro)—for treatment and management of their ischemic vascular disease. 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

The program comprises a set of measures and standards, based on available clinical evidence, that promote a model of care that includes the following criteria.

  • Comprehensive patient assessment and reassessment
  • Patient education
  • Shared decision making

BTE’s CCL requirements assess process measures and outcomes representing high standards of care for patients with ischemic vascular disease. BTE believes that the CCL program has the potential to significantly improve the quality of care experienced by many patients with ischemic vascular disease and to reduce the financial and human burden of unnecessary hospitalizations and complications.

What measures will be used to determine tiers of Recognition?

Given the evidence in the literature advocating the creation of physician quality reward programs that promote continuous quality improvement amongst its participants, the BTE Cardiac Care Link program is designed to include 3 levels or tiers of recognition. Assessment for recognition in all 3 tiers is based upon medical record data submitted on a core set of cardiac process measures and outcomes representing high standard of care for patients with cardiovascular disease. Achieving HSRP recognition with NCQA automatically gets physicians/practices BTE CCL Level I recognition.

  1. Level I: Focuses on a physician-centric[i] view of measurement, looking at individual metrics summed to produce a composite score, with the inclusion of “must pass” elements for intermediate outcome control measures (i.e., BP control and LDL control). Thresholds have been set to focus on above average performance.  

  2. Level II: Focuses on a combination of physician and patient-centric[ii] measurements. Level II includes the measurement of individual metrics summed to produce a composite score, with the inclusion of “must pass” elements for all intermediate outcome control measures, both poor and superior. Also looks at the defect rate of care delivery across poor control measures on a per patient basis. Thresholds have been set to focus on very good performance.

  3. Level III: Focuses on patient-centric view of measurement, looking at the defect rate of care delivery across superior control measures on a per patient basis. Physicians must demonstrate that they are using advanced processes and delivering all the right care on a per patient basis. Thresholds have been set to focus on exceptional performance.  

What is the duration of Recognition?

For Cardiac Care Link (CCL) recognitions achieved on or before December 31, 2009, recognition status remains in effect for 3 years from the date on which a PAO awards recognition.  Beginning January 1, 2010, the CCL recognition duration will be shortened to 2 years from the date on which a PAO awards recogntion.

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 CCL program are promoted on BTE’s list of CCL- recognized physicians on the HealthGrades Physician Quality Ratings website. Additionally practices and physicians who obtain recognition with NCQA's Heart Stroke Recognition Program (HSRP) are promoted as recognized physicians through NCQA's Recognized Physician Directory. 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.

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[i] Physician centric refers to performance assessment involving evaluation of physician performance based upon discrete measures (i.e. BP <130/80), which is applied across the eligible patient panel. The results provide a picture of a physician’s performance on a given measures across his or her eligible patient panel. Since the process leads to physician-focused results it is said to be “physician-centric.”

[ii] Patient centric refers to performance assessment involving evaluation of physician performance based upon composite measures, created by combining 2 or more separate discrete measures into a single measure (i.e. combining BP <130/80 and LDL <100mg/dl into 1 single measure), which is applied on a per patient basis. The results provide a picture of an individual patient’s performance on a set of measures which make–up the composite measure. Since the process leads to patient-focused results it is said to be “patient-centric.”
 

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Bridges to Excellence does not endorse any particular product or service or any physician or physician group. Bridges to Excellence relies on third-party performance assessment organizations such as the NCQA and Quality Improvement Organizations to measure a physician or physician's group performance and ability to demonstrate that they meet certain measures of quality care.