July Recap - Behavioral Health & More from our Stakeholders Centers!

Rounding out July with Behavioral Health!
Stakeholder Center Update - July 2013

Dear Center Leadership and Members:

We hope you were able to join us for all of our Behavioral Health activities this month! If not, don't worry, you're only a few clicks away from accessing the archived recordings and newsletters.

Featured Case Study:
Behavioral Health & Pediatrics: Using Technology to Connect Providers, Patients and Families

National Webinars & Briefings:
Integrating Behavioral Health Services with Primary Care: "Bridging the Divide." Speaker: Kathy Dodsworth-Rugani, Vice President, Innovation, HealthTeamWorks. Listen to audio recording here.

Behavioral Health Integration in the Medical Home: An Overview of the Massachusetts Self-Assessment and Online Toolkit. Speakers: Megan Burns, Senior Consultant, Bailit Health Purchasing; and Dan Mullin, PsyD, Primary Care Behavioral Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School. Watch recording here.

Week in Review Newsletters:
July 25th: Medical Home Makes Dollars & Sense
July 18th: Top ACOs Signal Savings and Success
July 11th: Michigan Medical Home Beats Summertime Blues

Read below to learn more about our recent center achievements and activities, as well as upcoming learning opportunities, events, and resources!

Sincerely,

Tara Hacker
Director of Programs

Activities and Achievements

PCPCC's Letter to Congress on SGR and Medicare Physician Payment
On July 22nd, we issued a statement in support of a legislative proposal from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, to replace the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) with more stable payment models, including the patient-centered medical home. Read our full letter here.

PCPCC's Statement to Senate Finance Committee on Payment Reform
On July 18th, we sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus, D-MT, and ranking member Orrin Hatch, R-UT, urging Congress to support public policies that shift the current fee-for-service (FFS) system to a fee-for value system built on a strong foundation of patient-centered primary care. Read the full letter here.

Summary of PCMH Cost and Quality Results, 2010-2013
We released an updated summary of medical home cost and quality results, including peer review and industry reports that indicate improvements across two categories: (1) costs and utilization rates; and (2) care quality and outcomes. Access summary here.

New Board Members Elected
Four new members will join PCPCC's Board of Directors, including Elizabeth J. Fowler, Johnson & Johnson; Jill Hummel, WellPoint, Inc.; Hal C. Lawrence, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and Adrienne White-Faines, American Osteopathic Association. Read press release here.

Resources & Learning Opportunities

BCBS Michigan Medical Home Saves $155M
A new study from the Health Services Research Journal found that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's medical home program yielded significant improvements in quality and preventive care with estimated savings of $155 million in its first three years.

PCMH in the Veterans Health Administration
A new report from the American Journal of Managed Care provides an evaluation of the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) medical home program, the largest integrated US health system to implement the model.

First Year Results for Pioneer ACOs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced first year results from the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) program. They include cost savings for some, but not all; and quality achievements across the board.

PCORI Requesting Research Proposals on Uncontrolled Asthma
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) announced plans to invest up to $17 million in patient-centered research projects evaluating treatment options for uncontrolled asthma in African-American and Hispanic/Latino populations. Letters of Intent are due August 1st at 5pm ET.

Health Subcommittee Advances Bipartisan SGR Replacement

The Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee advanced a draft, bipartisan proposal to repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) and replace it with a fair, stable, simplified system of physician payment in the Medicare program.

Primary Care Docs See Promise in CMS' Proposed Pay for Non Face-to-Face Work
In this Modern Healthcare article, our COO, Amy Gibson, discusses how the PCPCC supports proposed CMS ruling to reimburse doctors for patient care-management and care coordination activities that don't involve face-to-face contact. CMS is accepting comments on this proposed rule till September 6th.

PCPCC Events

Heads up! There will be no PCPCC newsletters, webinars or briefings in August. We will resume a regular schedule in September with a focus on population health management.

eHealth Special Interest Group: Monthly Conference Call
Sept 3rd, Noon - 1PM ET

Behavioral Health Special Interest Group: Monthly Conference Call
Sept 18th, Noon - 1PM ET

Community Connections in the Medical Neighborhood: The Future of the Primary Care Medical Home
Oct. 13-15th, Bethesda, MD
Early Bird Registration ends August 30, 2013.

Partner Events