Report: Five medical home recommendations for states

The "medical home" concept is all the rage these days, as many health leaders believe that it can cut costs and improve patient management. The question, however, is what model works best, as the idea is still in its infancy. Ever so slowly, health plans, research organizations and physician groups are weighing in.

This week, a state policy group has outlined five strategies states should consider when rolling out medical home programs. The National Academy for State Health Policy is suggesting that states should form partnerships with key players; create a clear definition of what a "medical home" is; align reimbursement with program goals; support physician practices; and measure results.

These recommendations are coming from 10 states with advanced medical home programs already in place, including Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington state, North Carolina and Rhode Island. It's not clear how these recommendations will help individual health plans or employer initiatives, but they're at least a start.

To get more information from the report:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece [1] (reg. req.)

Related Articles:
Primary care groups issue medical home guidelines [2]
NY health plans begin medical home effort [3]
UnitedHealth tests medical home model in AZ [4]
Health plans, MD groups plan 'medical home' project [5]