Questions arise over "medical home" payments

At least one trade group is raising questions over the way a proposed demonstration project handles the notion of creating a "medical home." The demonstration project, which would be created by a new bill working its way through the Senate, would assign Medicaid and SCHIP beneficiaries without a regular care manager to a primary care doctor. Participating PCPs would get a minimum fee of $2.50 per member per month for serving as such a medical home. The bill is backed by Sens. Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Burr (R-NC)

However, the American Academy of Family Physicians argues that the bill has at least two flaws. On the one hand, the $2.50 pmpm rate is a decent starting point, but it should serve only as a minimum payment, not the default used by the states, the group says. Also, it notes that the bill's method for defining a medical home--assigning the task to local medical management committees--would result in multiple definitions which could impose competing requirements on physicians.

To find out more about the bill:
- read this AAFP News Now item

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