CT Health Policy Project comments on DSS proposal for Medicaid person-centered medical homes

To implement the administration’s directive to develop person/patient-centered medical homes for every Medicaid consumer, DSS has proposed a payment model very different from other successful state programs. CTHPP has submitted comments on the proposal including concerns about reliance on retrospective enhanced fee-for-service and P4P payments, the lack of risk adjustment, opaque incentives, and a weak…

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NC employers buying into Medicaid patient-centered medical home system, CT NASW job posting

NC’s Medicaid patient-centered medical home network is so successful that large employers, including state employees, in the state are buying in for their workers. Bucking the private HMO-style managed care trend of other states in Medicaid, NC has had impressive improvements with a community-based PCMH network in improving access to and quality of care while…

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Exceptional example of medical homes in a safety net clinic

A New England Journal of Medicine article highlights the success of Clinica Family Health Services, a safety net clinic serving a largely low income, Latino population near Denver. Half of Clinica’s patients are uninsured. Over the last thirteen years, Clinica has implemented both the chronic care and PCMH models of care. Important lessons include the…

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NCQA slides and video online

Slides and video of Monday’s NCQA patient-centered medical home webinar are online. You can also register for next Monday’s webinar on URAC’s patient-centered medical home accreditation program.

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Connecticut patient-centered medical home first adopters

Transforming a busy medical practice into a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) can be daunting but the benefits are worth it, according to a report by CTHPP intern Kim Kushner. With 113 NCQA recognized patient centered medical homes, CT is far behind surrounding states. Kim interviewed a solo practitioner, a safety net community health center and…

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FAQs about patient-centered medical homes in CT

As part of discussion of national health reform and SustiNet, questions have been raised about patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) in our state. We have drafted responses to some of those questions including:What is a patient centered medical home? (Coordinated care delivered by a team that helps patients keep themselves healthy) What is a patient centered…

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CT’s Medicare patient centered medical home application — bad and good news

Unfortunately, CMS did not approve CT’s application to include Medicare in our patient-centered medical home plans for state employees and Medicaid. If it helps, we are in good company – Massachusetts and Maryland, states with sophisticated reform efforts – also did not get approved. But the good news is that the partners are all interested…

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CSG/ERC meeting slides online

Health panel slides from last week’s CSG/ERC annual meeting in Maine are online. They include Sen. Richard Moore (MA) and Trish Riley/Karynlee Harrington (ME, Dirigo) on payment reform, Lisa Letourneau (ME Quality Counts) on patient-centered medical homes, and Alan Weil (NASHP) on state roles in national health reform.

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Patient-Centered Medical Home updates

There are several opportunities in the new federal health reform act for CT to embrace, and fund, patient-centered medical homes. Currently, CT has no (zero) medical homes certified by NCQA, the national accrediting body. The SustiNet patient-centered medical home committee is considering the options and how they fit with Connecticut’s unique health care environment. At…

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SustiNet medical home committee making progress

At last week’s SustiNet Patient-Centered Medical Home committee meeting we heard about medical home initiatives in the two programs that will form the basis of SustiNet, the state employee plan and Medicaid/HUSKY. Tom Woodruff of the Comptroller’s Office presented on the state employee plan’s medical home initiative. The state will be moving to a self-insured…

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