French-style bundled payments ? Feedback on an experiment in episode-based payment in orthopaedics and oncology to improve coordination[Des bundled payments à la française ? Retours sur une expérimentation du paiement à l’épisode de soins en orthopédie et oncologie pour améliorer la coordination]

This article presents the initial results of a national experiment aimed at introducing episode-based bundled payments in the French healthcare system. Launched in 2019, restricted for the moment to three pathologies (hip and knee replacement and colectomy for cancer) and to around 40 hospitals, this experiment is presented as a step to move away from a much criticized activity-based payment system and to promote value-based payment. Episodes of care's financing aims to pay healthcare organizations on the basis of a flat rate payment for a group of acts and services associated with a pathology upstream, during and downstream of in hospital surgery. Coupled with quality objectives, bundled payments are expected to support both quality and efficiency gains by incentivizing hospitals to optimize patients' pathways and care coordination between acute care hospitals and primary care providers. Based on a qualitative empirical study, this article analyzes the extent to which the incentives associated with the introduction of this payment method participate to transform care practices at the hospital level. Building on a multidisciplinary approach (health policy and management and health sociology) and reflecting on the literature on management tools, policy instruments and algorithmic regulation, we show that the financing framework used to calculate the reimbursement package does not yet produce the expected incentives in terms of care coordination.