HHS Secretary Alex Azar has outlined four of his  biggest priorities for the department.

Perhaps surprising some providers, Azar told the Federation of American Hospitals on Monday that there would be “no going back to a system that pays for procedures rather than value,” and asserted that the Trump administration doesn’t fear disrupting current arrangements, regardless of the powerful economic interests backing them. Sounds like someone from the Obama administration….

He also suggested a willingness to have “perhaps even an uncomfortable degree” of federal intervention to make the system work better for the stakeholders he sees as least well-served currently: patients and taxpayers, FierceHealthcare reported.

His priorities for accelerating the move toward a value-based healthcare sector, as summarized by Fierce:

“2. Providing payers and providers with incentives to be more transparent about healthcare costs.”

“3. Using Medicare and Medicaid to drive industry change.”

He called  previous efforts to drive innovation such as through Affordable Care Organizations “lackluster,” promising “bold measures” to “create a true competitive playing field where value is rewarded handsomely.”

“4. Reducing regulatory burdens.”

“He particularly singled out reporting rules and FDA policies around communications that he said might inhibit collaboration among stakeholders.”