Accelerating and Aligning Primary Care Payment Models

Primary care is a critical link in health care delivery. Often patients’ first point of contact with the health care system, primary care practitioners make decisions that broadly impact both patient health and total health care spending. This Primary Care Payment Model (PCPM) White Paper views primary care teams as uniquely positioned to serve as catalysts for innovative care as well as effective stewards of health care resources. The paper offers principles and recommendations for implementing PCPMs that can help overcome the barriers to effective primary care tied to traditional fee-for-service payments based on the volume of services provided rather than the quality and value of care.