What It Really Takes to Improve Performance on Value-Based Contracts

It’s no secret: the success of value-based care hinges on the ability to align value levers and actions with value-based contracts. But for many health plans and health systems, managing those contracts—and helping providers succeed within each—is a fragmented, manual, and frustrating process.

In a recent podcast recorded live at ViVE, SpectraMedix leaders Sean Kelly, SVP of Growth and Business Development, and Rahul Lakhanpal, Chief of Staff, broke down the operational realities of value-based contracting and what it takes to move from strategy to results. Here’s what we took away from the conversation.

1. Value-Based Success Depends on Turning Contract Terms into Action.

While a growing number of organizations have adopted value-based care in principle, many are struggling with how to operationalize those contracts in practice. Contract terms often aren’t reflected in provider workflows, performance data arrives too late to drive change—and teams still rely on spreadsheets, home-grown analytics, and other tools not designed to manage it all. 

The SpectraMedix platform helps clients close these gaps by centralizing contracts and terms, surfacing performance trends in context, and guiding provider action during the contract period—not after it’s over. That timeliness is critical: providers need clarity on their performance, what they can influence, and how their actions affect incentive payments—while there’s still time to make an impact.

“If I'm a small practice and I'm evaluating whether I can hire another medical assistant, that decision depends on timely insight into bonus potential. Waiting 18 months to know the outcome isn’t sustainable."  – Sean Kelly

2. Put Provider Enablement at the Center of Your Strategy. 

A key mission of the platform is to reduce provider friction by showing them where they stand, what’s at risk, and how to improve—all within a single, unified experience. That’s critical, because no matter how strong their clinical performance is, providers can’t succeed financially if they’re not taking the right actions to meet contract terms. This kind of clarity strengthens provider engagement, builds trust, and ultimately drives performance.

“Doctors shouldn’t have to decode contracts or log into five different systems. They need to know: if I improve quality or reduce cost, there’s a clear financial incentive for me—and I can see it.”                              – Rahul Lakhanpal

3. Every Line of Business Is Different. So Are the ROI Levers.

Whether it’s Medicaid, Medicare, or commercial, or whether you’re dealing with quality incentives, or shared savings and shared risk arrangements, each brings its own pressure points. What works in one won’t necessarily work in another.

SpectraMedix enables plans to manage the nuances of different lines of business without overwhelming their teams—or their providers. The platform supports a portfolio-wide view while drilling down to contract-specific guidance, helping organizations adjust faster and act smarter.

4. It’s Not Just the Platform. It’s the Partnership.

The SpectraMedix platform brings powerful capabilities—automated contract ingestion, cross-contract analytics, actionable performance tracking—but that’s just part of the equation.

What sets SpectraMedix apart is the way it supports clients in applying that technology. From helping teams navigate contract complexity to aligning cross-functional stakeholders, SpectraMedix acts as an extension of the team.

“Our clients may not have a deep internal bench for value-based administration. That’s where we step in—not just with software, but with real consultative support.”  – Sean Kelly

This hands-on support helps clients quickly operationalize new programs, interpret nuanced contract performance, and make confident decisions about incentive distribution, provider outreach, and contract refinement—without overburdening internal teams.

Next Steps for Smarter Performance

Data alone doesn’t drive performance—clear expectations, timely insights, and payer/provider alignment move the needle. If health plans and systems want to improve results under value-based contracts, they need to help providers act while it still matters.