News & Updates — FORE Announcements

FORE today announced a $473,675 grant to The Brookings Institution to develop performance metrics and new payment models that health plans and other payers can use to measure the quality of opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and reward providers for delivering comprehensive, high-value care.

Currently, fewer than one in five people who would benefit from medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) receive them. Existing payment models don’t hold providers accountable for such outcomes, nor reward those who excel at identifying and engaging individuals with OUD in long-term treatment through wraparound supports and other means.

The two-year project, led by Richard Frank, PhD, Director of the Center on Health Policy at Brookings, aims to fill this gap by developing performance metrics that reflect the range of services and supports needed to achieve positive outcomes in community settings, such as federally qualified health centers, certified community behavioral health clinics, and office-based treatment programs. These metrics will be incorporated into new payment methodologies that managed care plans serving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries could use to promote best practices for outreach and follow-up care.

“Despite progress in expanding access to treatment, financial incentives within current payment systems often fall short of supporting the full continuum of evidence-based care,” said Karen A. Scott, MD, MPH, President of the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts. “This project aims to identify practical, scalable payment models that increase treatment engagement and retention, improve outcomes, and reduce overdose deaths.”

As part of the project, Brookings, together with researchers at Harvard Medical School and the Center for Health Care Strategies, will offer tools and technical assistance to states interested in designing and implementing new pay-for-performance programs for OUD care.

Findings will be shared with policymakers, health systems, and payers through policy briefs, technical reports, and stakeholder convenings to inform sustainable, value-based approaches to OUD treatment nationwide.

“By aligning payment with what works, we can help ensure more people receive effective treatment and stay engaged in care,” said Dr. Frank. “Ultimately, this work is about improving outcomes and saving lives.”