Modern Healthcare Illustration / Getty Images Independent Health pays providers for patient outcomes, not by how many people primary care clinicians get to walk through their front door. In the four years since the insurer implemented its primary care capitated payment program, the Buffalo, New York-based health plan has moved 630 clinicians to accept a 10% up-and-downside adjustment for effectively managing 20,000 patients' health. Providers like the program because it allows them to tailor their practice offerings and stay financially afloat when patients skip visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Independent Health benefits from clinicians' increased focus on preventative care, which decreases members' hospital and emergency department stays and lowers overall costs, CEO Dr. Michael Cropp said.