The Primary Source, Feb. 2012: Promising Signs of Primary Care Transformation

In this Issue:

PCDC and Essential Learning Partner to Launch Online Medical Home Training
7th Annual Gala to Honor Berardo, Brezenoff, Kennedy, and Harlem United
Primary Care Investments in Brooklyn and Buffalo
New Partnership to Transform New Orleans Primary Care
PCDC and NACHC Partner to Offer Business Continuity Planning

Feature Story:

In what could be a major development in health care payment reform, three of the country's largest health insurance payers recently announced new payment models that reward providers who improve health outcomes and care quality while lowering overall costs. High-quality primary care is central to all of the plans.

The latest move comes from UnitedHealth, the nation's largest insurer, which will soon roll out new financial rewards for primary care doctors, hospitals and physician groups that reduce avoidable hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and hospital readmission rates. WellPoint Inc. plans to invest $1 billion to increase doctors' fees by about 10 percent and pay them for services that currently aren't covered, including care management. Aetna is offering a new fee for primary-care practices that meet certain standards for improving care. Wellpoint and Aetna have also launched significant patient-centered medical home pilots. 

Click here for the Wall Street Journal's coverage in "New Way to Pay Doctors"