Specialty Care Integration

Specialty care integration momentum centered on kidney disease and oncology/palliative care: dialysis providers are reacting to HHS’ Kidney Care National Plan, signaling renewed federal pressure to coordinate nephrology, dialysis, transplant, and primary care around outcomes and total-cost accountability (Healthcare Innovation). Separately, Daymark Health reported that its oncology-palliative care model reduced hospitalizations and costs, reinforcing the VBC case for embedding serious-illness and palliative capabilities upstream in cancer care rather than treating them as end-of-life add-ons (Hospice News). For ACOs and payers, the near-term implication is sharper scrutiny of specialty network performance—especially avoidable admissions, care transitions, and whether specialty partners can operate under population-based or shared-savings incentives.