The Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative: Another Side Of The Story

The final evaluation of the Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) initiative published in Health Affairs in June described the project and concluded that it “did not reduce Medicare [emphasis added] spending enough to cover care management fees or appreciably improve physician experience.” The CPC initiative required participating primary care practices to implement five primary care functions: enhanced access to and continuity of care, planned care for chronic conditions and preventive care, risk-stratified care management, patient and caregiver engagement, and coordination of care with patients’ other providers. CPC supported the practices with enhanced payments, data feedback on patient outcomes, and learning support.