Patient-Centered Medical Homes: The Promise and The Reality

While the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model has increasingly been embraced by providers and payers as a way to improve health care and lower costs, many questions remain about its effectiveness. Definitions of medical homes vary, but they are generally known as a model that aims to transform primary care through increased coordination and communication among a team of providers. Recent medical home initiatives have encouraged primary care practices to invest in capabilities such as patient registries and electronic health records, and to achieve medical home recognition. Health plans offer to pay more to the practices that achieve recognition.

What do these models look like under different payers? Given variation in how PCMHs are set up and reimbursed, how scalable are these models? How long does it take for practices to make the PCMH transformation? What are some of the challenges practices face when making the transition? Do these models have an effect on costs? Do they improve quality of care?

Amy Gibson, chief operating officer, Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, provided an overview of these models and highlight their impact on cost and quality.

Pauline Lapin, senior adviser, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, discussed the various primary care initiatives under the Innovation Center, including the Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) initiative.

Amy Cheslock, vice president, Payment Innovation for Provider Engagement and Contracting at WellPoint, discussed private sector initiatives that support PCMHs.

Mark Frazer, an independent physician from Ohio participating in the CPC initiative, discussed the successes and challenges his practice has encountered while making the PCMH transformation.

Ed Howard of the Alliance moderated.

Follow the briefing on Twitter: #PCMH

Contact: Beeta Rasouli (202)789-2300 beetarasouli@allhealth.org

Transcript

Full Transcript (Adobe Acrobat PDF)

Speaker Presentations

Amy Gibson Presentation (Adobe Acrobat PDF)
Pauline Lapin Presentation (Adobe Acrobat PDF)
Amy Cheslock Presentation (Adobe Acrobat PDF)
Mark Frazer Presentation (Adobe Acrobat PDF)

Event Details

Agenda (Adobe Acrobat PDF)
Speaker Biographies (Adobe Acrobat PDF)