The effect of payment method and multimorbidity on health and healthcare utilisation

Purpose: Three types of payment methods have been introduced across European countries in attempts to encourage better, more integrated care of persons with multimorbidity: pay-for-performance; pay-for-coordination; and an all-inclusive payment method. We examine whether there are differences in the way these payment methods affect health and healthcare use in persons with multimorbidity.

Design/methodology/approach: Using individual-level survey data from twenty European countries, we examine unadjusted differences in average outcomes for the years 2011–2015 by whether countries adopted new payment methods for integrated care. We then test for a differential effect for multimorbid persons using linear, individual random effects regressions, including country and time fixed effects and clustering standard errors at the country level.

Findings: We find little effect of varying payment methods on key outcomes for multimorbid individuals despite the theoretical predictions and the rhetoric in many policy documents.

Research limitations/implications: Policymakers should bear in mind that the success of the payment method relies on the specific design of the incentives and their implementation. New effective models of care and how to incentivise these for multimorbid patients is an ongoing research priority.

Originality/value: This paper is the first to study the effects of payments for integration on the dimensions and populations these schemes intend to affect; health and healthcare use at the individual level for multimorbid individuals.