Under this demonstration, CMS will participate in multi-payer reform initiatives that are currently being conducted by states to make advanced primary care practices more broadly available. Advanced primary care (APC) practices, or “medical homes,” utilize a team approach to care, with the patient at the center. APC practices emphasize prevention, health information technology, care coordination and shared decision making among patients and their providers. The goal is to improve the quality and coordination of health care services. In New York, Medicare has joined 8 other payers, including Medicaid, in the Adirondack region of New York to support the transformation of the care across over 30 practices.
The demonstration program will pay a monthly care management fee for beneficiaries receiving primary care from APC practices. The care management fee is intended to cover care coordination, improved access, patient education and other services to support chronically ill patients. Additionally, each participating State will have mechanisms to offer APC practices community support and linkages to State health promotion and disease prevention initiatives.
