The Arkansas Department of Human Services on Friday presented $5.3 million in cash rewards to 19 primary care providers from across the state who the agency said improved quality of care while saving about $34 million in Medicaid costs in 2014.
The providers are enrolled in the state’s Patient-Centered Medical Home program, which is part of the Arkansas Health Care Payment Improvement Initiative, the state’s effort to move from a fee-for-services health-care payment system to a system in which payment is based on episodes of care and healthy outcomes.
A PCMH is not a physical location but a team-based model of care led by a primary care provider.
In 2014, there were 659 primary care physicians in 123 PCMH practices enrolled in the program, serving 295,000 Medicaid beneficiaries. Enrolled providers received a per-member, per-month payment and were expected to meet certain metrics for quality and efficiency.
To qualify for a share in the savings, an enrolled provider had to serve at least 5,000 Medicaid beneficiaries, alone or by pooling with another practice. Thirty-seven providers qualified, of whom 19 met their metrics and earned a cash reward.
“Today we’re celebrating the achievements of high-performing practices which have each cared for over 5,000 Medicaid patients and have met their goals, their quality metrics, and have (provided) cost-effective care,” Dr. William Golden, medical director of the state Medicaid program, said during a ceremony Friday at the state Capitol.
Golden said in an interview the providers saved Medicaid dollars by, among other things, reducing emergency room visits, reducing re-admissions, making more use of generic medicines and making judicious use of radiology.
“We’re hoping that this incentivizes greater stewardship, but also it makes primary care more attractive,” he said.
The rewards ranged from $927,643 to $8,568, with the providers who saved the most receiving the most. Receiving the largest award was the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, for its Area Health Education Centers in Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Springdale, Jonesboro and Texarkana.
UAMS Chancellor Dr. Dan Rahn said the PCMHs are transforming the health-care system “to produce better outcomes for patients, measurable quality, better patient experience and lower cost simultaneously — goals that in the past have often seemed in competition with each other but really are mutually interdependent.”
The other recipients were:
- Mercy Clinic Northwest Arkansas, Bentonville, $749,909.
- Drs. Collom and Carney Clinic, Texarkana, $642,364.
- Monticello Medical Clinic, $484,993.
- Hot Springs Pediatric Clinic, $448,848.
- Pillow Clinic, Helena-West Helena, $387,198.
- Mountain View Clinic, $237,707.
- The Children’s Clinic of Jonesboro, $236,807.
- John Paul Wornock, Searcy, $234,529.38.
- Central Arkansas Pediatric Clinic, Benton, $229,928.
- Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas, Fayetteville, $214,169.
- Pediatric Associates of West Memphis, $201,050.
- Arkansas Pediatric Clinic, Little Rock, $66,268.
- Little Rock Pediatric Clinic, $65,581.
- Apache Drive Children’s Clinic, Jonesboro, $57,498.
- Regional Family Medicine, Mountain Home, $54,951.
- Conway Children’s Clinic, $32,572.
- Ozark Internal Medicine, Clinton, $9,135.
- Mercy Health System of NWA, Rogers, $8,568.
By : John Lyon
Source: http://arkansasnews.com/
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