The Five Principles of Provider Enablement

Helping providers succeed in value-based contracts relies on effective provider enablement—giving them the right tools, timely insights, and clear guidance to manage performance. But just as important, they need a collaborative relationship with payers built on transparency with valuable insights, mutual alignment, and shared accountability.

When payers and providers work together, value-based care becomes more than a contract—it becomes a strategy for improving outcomes and financial success. With the right support, providers can effectively navigate risk, focus their efforts where they matter most, and drive meaningful change in patient and member care.

This post outlines five key principles for enabling providers to succeed in value-based care.

1. Think Like A Provider—And Deliver Insights that Matter.

More data doesn’t always mean more insight——too often, the information providers receive is overwhelming, time-consuming to interpret, or disconnected from what truly impacts performance. What providers really need is a direct line between insights and action—clear, targeted intelligence that tells then how they’re currently performing and how to improve..

Effective provider enablement means focusing on what matters and eliminating distractions. Integrate insights into workflows where it makes sense, ensuring they receive clear, relevant information without added burden. Timely updates help providers self-manage, improve outcomes, and stay on track—preventing small performance issues from escalating into financial risks.

2. Be Transparent.

Transparency builds trust, especially in value-based arrangements where financial and performance metrics are closely intertwined or monitored in siloes several degrees removed from the providers responsible for the activity. Giving providers a clear view of where they stand—and comparing performance to benchmarks, peers, and contract goals—ensures they can take meaningful action. Joint operating committees (JOCs) and provider enablement dashboards play a key role in making this information accessible, actionable, and worth the providers’ limited time.

When their value-based performance is transparently shared, providers can make informed decisions, close performance gaps, and improve outcomes. Clarity fosters collaboration and ensures that both payers and providers stay aligned on shared goals.

3. Deliver Actionable and Intuitive Insights.

Performance data is only valuable if it drives action. Providers don’t just need to see the numbers—they need to know what to do next and why it matters. Effective provider enablement means delivering analytics that highlight trends, reveal gaps, and prescribe clear, specific actions that improve performance. Provider enablement is more about “how am I doing” and “what can I do better” than in-depth retrospective analyses.

To create real impact, analytics must go beyond static reports. Providers need forward-looking guidance that helps them balance performance tracking with what they need to do for the people they care for so they can optimize financial and clinical performance. By connecting near real-time analytics to actionable next steps, payers empower providers to stay on top of the key levers that materially impact the financial performance of value-based contracts—namely risk, quality, and utilization. This enables providers to operationalize the intentions of value-based contracts to positively impact care and achieve success in their value-based contracts.

4. Provide Timely Insights for Earlier Action and Better Decisions.

In value-based care, timing is everything. Data-driven insights are only useful if providers receive them regularly and quickly enough to act. If reports are delayed, fragmented, or incomplete, providers lose the opportunity to adjust performance before it impacts financial and patient outcomes.

A well-designed dashboard doesn’t just organize data—it delivers timely, targeted insights that cut through data siloes and disjointed processes. When key performance indicators are available when they matter most, providers can proactively intervene, adjust strategies, and achieve better results. By ensuring insights are timely, clear, and accessible, organizations enable providers to make informed decisions and drive better outcomes.

5. Partner With Your Providers to Support the Shift to Greater Risk-Sharing.

Success in value-based care relies on strong payer-provider partnerships, mutually beneficial arrangements, and a real commitment to collaboration. JOCs and provider performance dashboards create space for open discussions, helping stakeholders stay aligned on performance goals and turn insights into mutual action plans. They also foster honest dialogue on what may not work as intended when a value-based contract is designed or executed.

But for many providers, managing their value-based contracts is already overwhelming. The demands of patient care, quality reporting, and financial performance can seem impossible to balance within the constraints of a busy day. That’s why collaboration must go beyond just sharing data—it has to simplify decision-making and prioritize what matters most.

When payers and providers work together with transparency and shared priorities, it builds trust and strengthens collaboration, both essential for improving clinical and financial outcomes. But true partnership goes beyond optimizing current performance—it’s about enabling providers with the resources, expertise, and support to take on greater risk.

By focusing on clear communication, timely insights, and practical support, payers and providers can make joint operating efforts more effective. A streamlined, data-driven approach keeps performance on track today while ensuring providers are ready for more advanced risk-sharing tomorrow.