Patient Centered Medical Home Resources - CT Health Policy

PCMHs in CT – not the “shiny new toy” anymore but moving forward improving care, controlling costs

By Ellen Andrews | June 18, 2019 |

Ten years ago, patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) were exotic in Connecticut. PCMHs are one of the best documented innovations to improve health. PCMHs are primary care practices that help keep people well by assessing needs, coordinating care, and giving people the skills and resources to maintain their own health. As a nurse managers told me,…

Comments to DSS opposing increase in PCMH Plus funding for program that didn’t improve quality and increased state costs

By Ellen Andrews | January 9, 2019 |

Read the full comments Thank you for this opportunity to oppose this amendment to add an additional $600,000 to the growing costs of PCMH Plus, the experimental new Medicaid shared savings program. The state cannot afford to spend more on this program that, in 2017 its first year, did not improve the quality of care…

Advocates get no answers to questions about HUSKY experiment

By Ellen Andrews | November 7, 2018 |

Last month, a group of independent consumer advocates, the Medicaid Study Group, sent questions to DSS about the impact of PCMH Plus, their new $10.8 million experimental program of shared savings in HUSKY. Advocates have been concerned about PCMH Plus’s potential to deny needed care, raise costs in the program, and erase hard-won progress. Questions…

Committee develops care plan best practices recommendations for Medicaid

By Ellen Andrews | February 27, 2018 |

The Complex Care Committee of CT’s Medicaid Council has made recommendations to DSS for careplans in the Medicaid program. The importance of effective care plans has arisen often throughout the committee’s work diving deep into barriers to care for Medicaid members with complex health needs. Effective care plans ensure that people are driving decisions about…

CTNJ: Advocates must inform consumers of risks when the state won’t

By Ellen Andrews | February 26, 2018 |

This week, independent advocates launched PCMHPlusFacts.org, a campaign to give HUSKY members balanced information about an experimental, new payment model expanding across the program. PCMH Plus has risks for consumers along with possible benefits, but HUSKY members aren’t aware of them or that they have the right to opt-out of the new payment model. Read more

Corrected: Opt-ing out of PCMH+ isn’t easy, and that’s not evidence that PCMH+ works

By Ellen Andrews | February 15, 2018 |

Correction – The notice sent to PCMH Plus consumers in December 2016 included the accurate phone number to call to opt-out of the program.

Quality challenges remain in CT Medicaid PCMHs

By Ellen Andrews | July 19, 2017 |

Also at Friday’s meeting, DSS reported on a selection of quality results from 2015, highlighting concerns. The results compared quality measures for patients receiving care from private practice and community health center Patient-Centered Medical Homes. In other programs, PCMHs have improved quality performance over non-PCMH practices. There remains a lot of room for improvement. Only…

Connecticut’s Medicaid redesign update– Pros and Cons

By Ellen Andrews | April 18, 2016 |

Connecticut’s Medicaid program has earned national recognition for combining improved access to high quality care with an impressive record of cost control. Shifting the program from a financial risk payment model to care coordination through person-centered medical homes (PCMHs) four years ago is widely credited with that success. Last year the administration began developing…

DSS publishes a consumer-friendly PCMH description

By Ellen Andrews | March 28, 2016 |

For last week’s MAPOC Consumer Access Committee meeting, DSS developed a clear and simple descriptionof Person Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs). The presentation focuses on what person-centered means – both provider and member responsibilities. Members learn what they can expect from providers, and what is expected of them. “Care is organized around you” balanced with “Support…

Advocates’ concerns to preserve PCMHs in Medicaid reform rejected

By Ellen Andrews | March 14, 2016 |

Last week independent advocates sent a letter to DSS urging them to preserve and support person-centered medical homes (PCMHs) in Medicaid redesign, but unfortunately our concerns were dismissed by the administration. PMCHs are the only reform that has extensive support in the literature as improving both access to quality care and success in controlling costs.…