The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new initiative under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) aimed at helping primary care providers deliver higher quality and patient-centered care. Primary care practices that support this initiative will receive bonuses for coordinating improved care and spending health care dollars more prudently.
“Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, we are helping primary care doctors better coordinate care with patients so they get better care and we use our health care dollars more wisely,” said HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius. This partnership, a joint effort between HHS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), known as the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative, will be voluntary and start off in five to seven health care markets across the United States.
CMS strongly believes that the health care industry is in need of stronger primary care, and that this initiative will get things moving in the right direction. According to a CMS fact sheet, “A primary care practice is a key point of contact for patients’ health care needs. In recent years, new ways have emerged to strengthen primary care by improving care coordination, making it easier for clinicians to work together, and helping clinicians spend more time with their patients.”
This initiative is included under the umbrella of the Obama Administration’s efforts to lower health care costs to Americans by utilizing concepts set forth by PPACA. The additional support received by primary care practices is meant to help doctors deliver preventive care, help those with serious or chronic illnesses to follow individualized care plans, give patients better access to health information and to get patients and their families to take an active role in their own health care.
This collaboration is being based off of models set forth by large employers and industry leaders in the private health insurance arena. According to the HHS announcement, “Large businesses have been able to make independent investments to promote more comprehensive primary care – improving the health of their employees and lowering their health care costs.”
To enable this more personalized approach to care to go in to effect, participating primary care practices will be paid a monthly fee by CMS in addition to the Medicare fees they already receive. “We know when doctors have time to spend with their patients and can better coordinate care with specialists, people are healthier and we have lower costs in the health care system,” said CMS Administrator Donald Berwick, MD.
Benefit Mall will continue to keep you apprised of the latest developments as healthcare reform continues to evolve. For blog posts, legislative alerts, pools, surveys and other resources, visit www.HealthcareExchange.com and www.benefitmall.com.
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