Skip to main content

Making Care Primary: Do you need value-based care experience to apply?

making care primary

Are you a primary care practice that’s considering joining the Making Care Primary model? If so, you may have concerns about the experience needed to participate in a value-based care model. In this blog post, we’ll explore whether VBC experience is a requirement to apply for MCP and what benefits you can expect from the program, regardless of your experience level.

Is value-based care experience required for MCP?

Primary care providers don’t need VBC experience to apply for MCP. However, since MCP is a multi-state initiative, you do need to be located in one of the following states:

  • Colorado;
  • Massachusetts;
  • Minnesota;
  • New Jersey;
  • New Mexico;
  • New York;
  • North Carolina; or
  • Washington.

Note, in New York only upstate counties are included under the model. See Appendix D in the Making Care Primary Request for Applications for more information. 

Is there an advantage for practices with little to no VBC experience?

One of the key benefits of the model is that primary care providers who have no experience with VBC can come in at Track 1 (out of 3). This track is designed to help facilitate the operational setup of the program. Track 1 supports organizations as they build infrastructure and become capable of delivering accountable care. 

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation’s new MCP model means a lot for eligible providers with no previous VBC experience. It’s a major advantage for providers who are small, independent or rural or who support underserved populations and may not have the resources to invest in VBC themselves. Additionally, coming in at Track 1 means that you have the lowest level of potential financial risk for the first two and a half years of the model. During this time, practices will build the foundation needed to redesign their care delivery system and will expand upon that as the model progresses. 

MCP participation benefits providers should consider

In Track 1, providers can take advantage of an upfront infrastructure payment option. This is a time-limited, $72,500 payment that can be used to increase staffing, address patients’ social determinants of health needs or invest in health information technology. 

It’s worth noting that most alternative payment models don’t provide this type of start-up financial support. Historically, providers have had to make the needed practice transformation investments on their own. However, CMS is making it available to those who otherwise may not have the opportunity to explore VBC.

The three-track design of the MCP model means that providers who enter at Track 1 won’t enter Track 3 until the middle of the 10.5-year model. This allows for gradual changes in the required care delivery activities, payment methodology and performance criteria to take place.

Practices will also be able to leverage exclusive learning opportunities and events throughout the duration of the model to encourage the sharing of best practices and information dissemination.

Ultimately, participation in MCP will empower practices to deliver highly coordinated, patient-centered advanced primary care to their patients. 

Need help determining if MCP is right for you? Contact us.

VBC experience is not a requirement to apply for the MCP program. In fact, the program is designed to offer accessibility to providers of all sizes and experience levels. If you’re considering applying, schedule a time to speak with DataGen to discuss how MCP can elevate your care.

Our experts can help give you the robust data and guidance needed to apply and sustain your MCP participation — plus, we’ll even take you through a live demonstration of our performance monitoring analysis platform. In the meantime, read our blog, Making Care Primary Model: 5 crucial things to know, to learn everything you need to know about MCP. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Five key components of a strong patient safety culture

In today’s healthcare environment, ensuring patient safety is more than just a priority — it’s a fundamental component of quality care. Establishing a strong patient safety culture within hospitals and health organizations can dramatically reduce errors, increase patient satisfaction and improve overall healthcare outcomes. But what exactly is a patient safety culture, and how can institutions cultivate it effectively?  This blog post explores the five key components that make up a robust patient safety culture, along with insights from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and The Joint Commission.  What is patient safety culture?  AHRQ defines patient safety culture as how an organization's culture supports and promotes patient safety. This can extend to multiple levels, from individual units to departments to system levels. The AHRQ patient safety culture survey encompasses the shared values, beliefs and norms of healthcare practitioners and staff that...

CMS TEAM Model Q&A: Your 10 concerns addressed in partner webinar

DataGen partnered with the VBCExhibitHall and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to host an informational webinar on CMS’ Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM), Unpacking the mandatory CMS TEAM model: Overcome new rules & challenges.   During this one-hour session, attendees received valuable TEAM insights provided by Alyssa Dahl, vice president of advanced analytics at DataGen, and Erin Hahn, lead policy analyst of value-based care and quality at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). However, some attendees had good questions that we wanted to elaborate on — hence, the creation of this blog post! Speakers answer your webinar Q&As    With great participant questions during the Q&A portion, Dahl and Hahn took time to expand on their answers to provide more clarity.* So, if you’re a hospital with mandatory TEAM participation status, keep reading to unpack the new rules and challenges.    Q1: What happens...