August 22, 2012
Nineteen TriHealth Physician Partners have been selected by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in the Comprehensive Primary Care initiative (CPCi). Under the CPCi, CMS will pay selected primary care practices a care management fee to support enhanced, coordinated services on behalf of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.
“This funding is vital in moving primary care to a pay-for-value model,” said Will Groneman, Executive Vice President of System Development for TriHealth. “The added funding allows offices to ensure compliance with medication, follow-up visits, specialist referrals, etc. Overall, it means patients receive coordinated care intended to keep them living better and longer.”
For patients, physicians practices participating in CPCi may offer longer and more flexible hours, use electronic health records; coordinate care with patients’ other health care providers; better engage patients and caregivers in managing their own care, and provide individualized, enhanced care for patients living with multiple chronic diseases and higher needs.
“The Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative is the kind of common sense investment in health care we need,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Businesses, families, and taxpayers all benefit from a stronger primary care system that helps to improve our health and lower costs.”
In addition to Medicare, participating commercial, state, and other federal insurance plans are also offering enhanced payment to primary care practices that are designed to support them in providing high-quality care on behalf of their members.
Eligible primary care practices in each market were invited to apply to participate and start delivering enhanced health care services in the fall of 2012. Through a competitive application process, primary care practices within the selected markets were chosen to participate in the Comprehensive Primary Care initiative. Practices were chosen based on their use of health information technology, ability to demonstrate recognition of advanced primary care delivery by leading clinical societies, service to patients covered by participating payers, participation in practice transformation and improvement activities, and diversity of geography, practice size, and ownership structure.
The 19 TriHealth Physician Partners selected to participate are:
The Comprehensive Primary Care initiative is a four-year initiative administered by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMS Innovation Center). The CMS Innovation Center was created by the Affordable Care Act to test innovative payment and service delivery models that have the potential to reduce program expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality of care.