Is the Direct Contracting Model Similar to Medicare Advantage? Francois de Brantes Has An Answer
In this third of a four-part video series, Signify Health senior vice president of Episodes of Care, François de Brantes, speaks with Managed Healthcare Executive about value-based care, the toxic incentives in healthcare, how the Direct Contracting Model differs from Medicare Advantage and more.
Below you'll find a brief excerpt from the transcript of our recent podcast interview with François de Brantes. They have edited for clarity and length.
Is the Direct Contracting Model similar to Medicare Advantage?
The mechanics are similar. The difference is that in Medicare Advantage, Medicare contracts with a Medicare managed care organization, and that Medicare managed care organization can continue to pay 100% of the care for the beneficiaries that enroll in the MA plan fee for service. The chassis of Medicare Advantage plans are a fee-for-service adjudication process.
Now, some of them are fairly innovative in the way that they create the reimbursements with the providers in their network. But a lot of them simply continue to pay a fee for service. So yes, it's like Medicare Advantage in the sense that you're pre-paying an entity a fixed amount for a beneficiary.
The difference is that you're now relying on a provider organization or, you know, some affiliate of a provider organization, to contract with providers, hopefully in a different way.
Conversations With Perry and Friends: Paul Fronstin, Ph.D.
May 9th 2025Perry Cohen, Pharm.D., a longtime member of the Managed Healthcare Executive editorial advisory board, is host of the Conversations with Perry and Friends podcast. In this episode, his guest is Paul Fronstin, Ph.D., director of health benefits research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
Listen
Conversations With Perry and Friends
April 14th 2025Perry Cohen, Pharm.D., a longtime member of the Managed Healthcare Executive editorial advisory board, is host of the Conversations with Perry and Friends podcast. His guest this episode is John Baackes, the former CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan.
Listen
