Why Value-Based Care Models are Transforming MSK Management

By Michael Radeschi , executive with over two decades of expertise in healthcare strategy and analytics. Currently Manager of Producer Relations at UPMC Health Plan, he leads a team optimizing commercial healthcare placements with brokers and consultants. Previously, he advanced data-driven strategies as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Innovu and drove human capital outcomes as Senior Director of Partner Analytics. His career is defined by a deep understanding of value-based care, employee benefits, and actionable insights.

Value-based care models are revolutionizing healthcare, and their impact on musculoskeletal (MSK) management is profound. These innovative approaches align incentives for all stakeholders—patients, providers, payers, and employers—creating a win-win scenario that drives better outcomes, lowers costs, and increases satisfaction.

We sat down with Michael Radeschi, an industry expert from UPMC Health Plan and advocate for value-based care programs, to explore why this model is a game-changer for MSK management.

Here’s what they had to say:

Value-based care models are revolutionizing healthcare—especially in musculoskeletal (MSK) management—by aligning incentives for patients, providers, payors, and employers to deliver better outcomes, reduce costs, and improve satisfaction.

• Payors: Collaborate to design programs that promote cost-effective, clinically appropriate alternatives to surgery. When surgery is necessary, they can trust it’s the right step.
• Brokers & Employers: These models cut healthcare costs while maintaining quality, empowering providers to deliver efficient care and rewarding positive outcomes.
• Providers: Providers can focus on delivering outcomes-based care without facing financial risks for choosing more efficient treatment pathways.
• Patients: Patients trust their providers most. Value-based care champions less invasive, more affordable options, leading to better adherence and outcomes.

In?his article, Ryan Vasilik, Equity Analyst, highlights how value-based care transforms healthcare by shifting focus to outcomes over volume, which aligns perfectly with the principles of non-surgical MSK care.

Key takeaways:

1. Cost Savings: value-based care reduces unnecessary procedures, lowers emergency room visits, and improves patient health through preventive care.
2. Chronic Condition Management: value-based care works exceptionally well for chronic diseases like MSK conditions, where early intervention and care coordination are key.
3. Data-Driven Outcomes: Providers and payors collaborate to demonstrate long-term savings and better results.

Link to the article: Value-Based Care: Aligning Interests

Value-based care thrives on innovative, non-surgical solutions. Take Apos, for example:

• A patient with chronic moderate to severe knee pain uses Apos early in the treatment journey.
• Results: Reduced pain, improved mobility, and better quality of life—all without invasive intervention.
• Benefits for All: Payors save on surgical and overall healthcare utilization costs, employers see fewer missed workdays, and patients enjoy convenient at-home treatment with the results they need.

Additional solutions like targeted physical therapy programs and advanced wearables also play a critical role, improving recovery outcomes while reducing overall healthcare costs.

As Michael Radeschi puts it:

“In MSK care, value-based models bring measurable results to every stakeholder—aligning incentives and driving real change.”

According to CMS, value-based care prioritizes quality over quantity, rewarding providers for improving patient outcomes and reducing unnecessary treatments. Focusing on preventive care and effective chronic condition management lowers costs, avoids complications, and improves satisfaction for payors and patients alike.

For more insights, read CMS's approach to value-based care: Learn More Here

I'd refer to the time I spent working with provider analytics - both at Highmark and Heritage Valley.?

Those experiences showed me first hand that we have many providers passionately committed to the best outcomes for patients, willing to try value-based approaches.? The key to their willingness is program communication: getting their input, driving their?understanding, and supporting them with analytics.

Value-based care isn’t just about lowering costs. It’s about building a healthcare model where everyone wins—patients, providers, payors, and employers alike.

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