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Home demo project waiting in the wings
The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 authorizes a three-year demonstration project aimed at improving physician-provided care for Medicare beneficiaries who have multiple chronic conditions and live in medical homes. The Medicare Medical Home Demonstration (MMHD), for which no starting date has been established, will include physicians and practices in urban, rural and underserved areas of up to eight states. To be eligible, physicians must be board-certified, willing to provide first contact and continuous care, and have the resources to manage comprehensive and coordinated care for each participating beneficiary. Participating physicians will be eligible for relative value unit-based care management fees and bonuses that depend on Medicare savings and defined quality goal achievements. To date, however, the language authorizing the MMHD is broad, and the payment structure remains undefined. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is working to correct that. It's devising rules and regulations for the project, but that is a process that could continue through the rest of 2007 or beyond. |
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