As part of an experimental program designed to increase the quality of Medicare services, a few thousand primary-care physicians will receive an extra payment when they show better coordination of patient care.
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said the program will take effect statewide in Arkansas, Colorado, New Jersey and Oregon. Three areas within other states will also take part in the program: New York (Capital District-Hudson Valley Region), Ohio and Kentucky (Cincinnati-Dayton Region) and Oklahoma (Greater Tulsa Region).
The payments will range from $8 to $40 per patient, according to the CMS. The program will affect about 313,000 Medicare patients.
The CMS said in a statement that the program has several goals, including improved coordination between a patient’s primary-care physician and his or her other health-care providers. The agency said that electronic health records should be used as part of that program.
The primary-care physicians who are taking part in the program applied for the extra benefits on a competitive basis. The initiative, which will cost $300 million, is being funded by the Innovation Center of CMS, which oversees experimental projects.
