Skip to main content

Primary Care First update

The initial cohort of the Primary Care First model went live on Jan. 1.  Cohort 1, represented by 822 practices and 14 payer partners, is offered in 26 regions across the country. Over the six-year PCF demonstration period, CMS will test whether advanced primary care practices can improve patient experience and quality, reduce total cost of care and manage risk through performance-based payments, while decreasing the administrative burdens and increasing financial incentives for a primary care practice. PCF puts particular focus on comprehensive care coordination and the doctor-patient relationship.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation announced several PCF model updates in the last few weeks:

  1. The Seriously Ill Patient component of PCF, which would have gone live on April 1, has been postponed until further notice and is currently under review. The SIP component was established for practices that could focus on patients with complex chronic needs and fragmented care patterns. Practices caring for these patients or willing to accept this patient population would receive higher payments under the PCF model.
  2. The applicants for the second PCF cohort will go at risk for a five-year period in the PCF model beginning Jan. 1, 2022.
  3. In the initial program announcements, Cohort 1 excluded practices that participated in the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus model, and Cohort 2 was only open to CPC+ practices. Cohort 2 will now be open to all primary care practices that meet eligibility criteria. CMS acknowledges the need to establish, preserve and reinforce the role of primary care in light of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
  4. The model will continue to be offered in 26 regions – this includes the 18 CPC+ regions plus eight additional regions that were added specifically for PCF. To date, Cohort 1 practice participants are represented in 22 of the eligible regions and Cohort 1 payer partners are represented in 24 of the eligible regions.

DataGen hosted a webinar to help participants prepare for the new model and build the right foundation for success. Listen to this webinar recording to learn:

  • what you need to know about the PCF Model;
  • important details on the upcoming application deadline; and
  • strategies to prepare for the at risk period.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

BPCI Advanced – take advantage of the model extension now

The Bundled Payment for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced Model is now open for applications until May 31, 2023. This model provides a unique opportunity to acute care hospitals and physician group practices who are looking to: evaluate their bundle performance; rejoin if they have previously dropped out due to being under a convener; or take advantage of the changes to the model. With a small window to sign the participation agreement, you’ll need experts to process data quickly and accurately for evaluation. BPCI Advanced Program Details The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in October 2022 that this program will extend from January 2024 to December 2025. Data used for evaluation will be taken from the baseline period between October 2018 and September 2022. A participation agreement will be sent out in September 2023 and needs to be signed by October 2023 in order to participate. Those who apply before the May 31 deadline will benefit

You’ve been accepted to the Enhancing Oncology Model. Now what?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Innovation Center recently announced approved applicants for the new Enhancing Oncology Model. If your facility has been selected by CMS, are you still weighing your options during the current baseline evaluation period?  Two deciding factors may include the program data that CMS provides and whether EOM is enough of an improvement over the prior Oncology Care Model to make your investment worthwhile. Another factor to consider: Will you have the resources in place to conduct a baseline evaluation before EOM’s program start on July 1, 2023? How EOM differs from OCM EOM aims to improve the coordination of oncology care, drive practice transformation and reduce Medicare fee-for-service spending through episode-based payment. It includes three major updates: Fewer cancer types. Compared with OCM’s 21, EOM will be limited to seven common cancer types: breast, prostate, lung, small intestine/colorectal, multiple myeloma, lymphoma and chronic le

3 Major Areas to Focus on After Receiving NCQA PCMH Recognition

First off, congratulations to you and your practice for achieving National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition! Gaining NCQA PCMH status is a big accomplishment for which you should be very proud. Now that you’ve completed the necessary steps to implement changes and earn recognition, you may be wondering what’s next. In this guide, we’ll navigate what to do next, PCMH standards and guidelines to follow and 2024 annual reporting requirements to focus on. Let’s get into it! What to do after earning NCQA PCMH recognition Before you’re ready to start earning the great benefits of PCMH recognition , you need to plan what actions you’ll take to maintain your status. Remember, PCMH is not a project, but a continual progression of the way care is delivered to patients, meeting them where they are. So, if you’re a practice that wishes to keep its PCMH, you’ll need to be accountable for each criterion you achieved when initially receiving PCMH recognition.