Providers view themselves aslooking out for patients and see insurers as singularly focused oncutting costs. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Collaboration between insurers and health careproviders could stand to significantly improve.

That's the takeaway from a survey of health care leaders conducted by NewEngland Journal of Medicine-Catalyst. The study was led by NamitaSeth Mohta, MD., clinical editor of NEJM Catalyst, and LeemoreDuffy, PhD, of the at Harvard School of Business.

More than three-quarters (77 percent) of the 607 health careexecutives, clinical leaders and clinicians surveyed said thatpayers and providers are not aligned towards achieving increasedvalue in care delivery. Respondents were eagerto apply the same skepticism to themselves; 58 percent said theirown organizations were not properly aligned with either payers orproviders.

Related: 4 reasons employer-sponsored health insurance won'tgo away

Just over half of respondents believe that payers and providersare aligned on providing quality of care. However, on carecoordination, cost of care and using data to make better decisionsfor patients, the great majority of respondents said thatcollaboration is unsatisfactory.

Respondents displayed support for organizations that integratedprovider and insurance services, such as Kaiser Permanente.Two-thirds said that such organizations have made importantprogress towards “innovative, risk-based payment arrangements.”

However, the traditional tension between providers and payerspersists, the study finds. Providers view themselves as looking outfor patients and see insurers as singularly focused on cuttingcosts.

Health care leaders were almost evenly divided on which industrystakeholder has the greatest potential to bring about meaningfulchange in payment models. Asked to pick the top two most importantstakeholders, 50 percent said payers, while 48 percent saidproviders, 39 percent said the government/regulators, 36 percentsaid employers and 21 percent said patients/customers.

However, when asked what are the main drivers of collaborationbetween payers and providers, a large majority (71 percent) citedregulatory payment model changes led by government programs,notably Medicare. A majority also cited improved data analytics (53percent), and 61 percent think a single-payer system wouldhelp.

The report included a number of comments from respondents abouthow greater collaboration could come about. Suggested one clinicianabout payers and providers: “Marriage counseling such that theydon't view each other as the enemy.”

Read more:

• How broker consolidation and industry alliances arechanging the industry
• 3 aspects of value-based care every broker shouldknow
• Single-payer, other leftist ideas, swingmainstream