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Week in Review: Michigan Medical Home Beats Summertime Blues
Michigan Medical Home Beats Summertime Blues
Thursday, July 11th
 
Dear Members and Friends:

If this week's major health care headlines about health reform delays and transformation gridlock are giving you the summertime blues, there were a couple of bright spots in the medical home space this week that I am very excited to share with you all.

The first is a new study of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan medical home program in Health Services Journal. The study found that the adoption of medical home capabilities had significant impact on the cost and quality of care for nearly 2,500 Michigan practices. The health plan demonstrated $155 million in savings and $26.37 lower per member per month costs over three years-- a major win for the medical home!

The second is a significant proposed change affecting the 2014 physician fee schedule. CMS' proposed rule (available July 19th) includes reimbursing providers for non-face-to-face visits for developing care plans and managing care plans for patients with multiple chronic conditions. While still in the proposal stage, we see this as a major opportunity for aligning payment reforms with effective care delivery strategies within the medical home framework.
In other news, we are excited to be dedicating the month of July to Behavioral Health, and its critical role in the medical home. We'll kick it off later today at noon ET with a webinar dedicated to the topic, followed by briefings later in the month where you can learn more from leading experts in the field.

We look forward to having you join us!
 
Sincerely,

Marci Nielsen, PhD, MPH
Chief Executive Officer 
 
Proposed Medicare Changes Hold Promise for Medical Home
Earlier this week Medicare unveiled a new payment plan that will reimburse providers for delivering non-face-to-face services for patients with multiple, significant chronic conditions starting in 2015. Specifically, the proposed rule for the 2014 physician fee schedule would reimburse providers that establish care plans, and manage that care over a 90-day period; eligible physicians must use electronic health records.

The proposed fee schedule rule will be published on July 19, and CMS will accept comments on the rule until Sept. 6.

Click here for a CMS press release.
Webinar: Behavioral Health and Primary Care Integration
Date: TODAY, Thursday Jul 11, 2013
Time: 12:00 pm to 01:30 pm EDT
Register now.

Sponsored by the PCPCC's Behavioral Health Special Interest Group, this webinar will feature a review of the Massachusetts Medical Home's "Behavioral Health Integration Toolkit." Participants will learn about the processes necessary to develop an integrated care model, and how to use the online tools developed by experts in Massachusetts.
Upcoming Events
July 11-25th
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BCBS Michigan Medical Home
Wins Big; $155M Saved
A new study from the Health Services Research Journal found that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's medical home program, the largest in the nation with nearly 2,500 practices, yielded significant improvements in quality and preventive care. The health plan estimates savings of $155 million in the program's first three years. 

Funded by AHRQ, the study measured the effect of medical home capabilities on total medical costs and quality of care. The findings include:
  • 3.5% higher quality measure
  • 5.1% higher preventive care measure
  • $26.37 lower per member per month costs
  • No impact on pediatric costs
For the full study click here 
(*purchase/subscription required)
Click here for more evidence and results from medical home programs.
July is PCPCC's Behavioral Health Month!

Webinar: Behavioral Health Integration in the Medical Home: An Overview of the Massachusetts Self-Assessment and Online Toolkit - Thurs. July 11th l Noon to 1:30 PM ET

Executive Committee Monthly Briefing: A Health Plan's Perspective on Behavioral Health in the Medical Home - Tues. July 30th  l  4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET

July National Briefing: The Colorado Experiment: Primary Care and Behavioral Health - Thursday, July 25th  l  11:00 AM - Noon ET
Join PCPCC's Behavioral Health Group
The PCPCC's Behavioral Health Special Interest Group provides a forum for health professionals from across the health care marketplace to connect, learn, and exchange ideas about current trends, research, and best practices in the field. The groups website includes more information about upcoming opportunities and behavioral health resources:

Monthly Group Conference Calls (occur every 3rd Thursday of the month, Noon - 1PM) Click here to subscribe to call updates.

Online chats open to the public, where individuals can contribute to a specific topic or news item. This month's chat focuses on the NCQA's proposed changes to behavioral health features in their draft 2014 medical home standards.
Heads up!:  The Week in Review will not be published during the month of August, nor will the PCPCC hold a Monthly National Briefing. We will resume a regular schedule in September and focus on Population Health.






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