What is the primary goal of risk-sharing arrangements in Medicare?

The primary goal of risk-sharing arrangements in Medicare is to align the financial incentives of providers with patient outcomes. This arrangement encourages healthcare providers to focus not only on delivering services but also on the quality of care and the overall health of their patients. By tying financial rewards to successful patient outcomes, such as reduced hospital readmissions or improved management of chronic conditions, risk-sharing models promote coordinated care and responsible resource use. This ultimately aims to enhance patient care while controlling costs, as providers become more accountable for the health results of their patients.

In contrast, decreasing the number of covered services would not necessarily improve patient outcomes and could lead to negative impacts on care access. Increasing overall healthcare costs is contrary to the goals of such arrangements, which typically seek to contain costs. Streamlining the claims processing system, while beneficial, does not capture the essence of aligning financial incentives with patient outcomes, which is the cornerstone of effective risk-sharing arrangements.