Patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) while striving to improve patient outcomes, simultaneously seek to reduce health care costs, according to the New York Law Journal (NYLJ).
Usually led by a physician, patients in a PCMH model have an ongoing relationship with their doctor and a team that is collectively responsible for patient care. A PCMH is not a physical building, rather it is an approach to providing comprehensive health care, NYLJ writes.
Coordinating care across various aspects of health care including hospitals, home health care, specialty care, and community services, the PCMH is responsible for meeting patients’ physical and mental health needs.
Included in these needs are prevention and wellness, acute care, chronic care, and end-of-life care.
Federally, the Affordable Care Act of 2010 provided for the establishment of PCMHs, along with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to carry out a number of reforms.
At the state level, 42 states have adopted policies and programs to advance the PCMH mode, according to NYLJ.
New York is seen among the leaders for the PCMH model, NYLJ writes, as PCMHs approved by the Department of Health have been gaining traction to qualify for and receive incentive payments under the state’s health care program.
Though the expected results of PCMHs remains to be seen, both the Department of Health and federal government will be carefully assessing the impact of these programs and whether or not they should become widely utilized throughout health care systems, concluded NYLJ.
Written by Jason Oliva
