Dive Brief:
- CMS is planning to begin paying primary care doctors for complex chronic-care management services performed outside of face-to-face office visits.
- Starting in 2015, PCPs will be reimbursed for services such as modifying care plans and coordinating care with clinicians in other practices.
- The agency believes that these payments will cut down on hospitalizations, use of post-acute care services and emergency department visits.
Dive Insight:
This is welcome news for PCPs, and long overdue. Paying primary care docs for chronic-care management is the next step in creating true medical homes for patients, and it's a step which should have all of the effects CMS is hoping for and more. What's more, the step may inspire private commercial insurers to imitate CMS's strategy. All told, we don't see a down side to this one.