Testing payment-for-performance in French acute care hospitals: a point of view from the French Federation of Comprehensive Cancer Centres.

In 2004, France began a diagnosis related groups-based financing system for both public and private acute care hospitals. France opted for a mix of financing systems with over 80% of funding based on diagnosis related groups (DRG). After seven years of DRG-based financing, the French government is testing a payment-for-performance system in acute care hospitals, based on the USA experience. France is currently fine-tuning this model. So far, observations have raised doubts as to whether this approach will improve the value of health care in French hospitals: the budget appears insufficient, the quality of the available indicators is poor and the model is complex. However, it has focused attention on the question of health care quality.