With health care costs continuing to rise and inhibiting the success of Oregon businesses and families by eating more of our financial pie, there is an opportunity in a public-private partnership announced last week for practices to make fundamental changes in their care delivery.
Oregon has been chosen by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in a new five-year project focused on enhanced primary care to keep people healthier. The program, called Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+), combines the power of public payers (federal Medicare and state Medicaid) and private health insurers, to change the way care is paid for and delivered. Through aligned efforts to improve care, control costs and improve health, this historic collaborative effort will produce a win/win/win for patients, providers and payers.
This builds on Oregon’s experience with an earlier version of this program in which Oregon was one of seven regions chosen nationally to participate. The results of that initial pilot (known as the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative) were so promising that CMS has expanded these efforts and tried to address some of the flaws in the original pilot.
The health insurance companies and CCO’s who stepped forward to participate and invest in this work deserve to be acknowledged and thanked. They recognize the importance of making health care work better for Oregonians and keeping people healthier, and are willing to take some risk to promote substantial innovation and progress. These companies include:
- AllCare Health, Inc. PrimaryHealth of Josephine County
- ATRIO Health Plans Providence Health Plan
- CareOregon Providence Health Assurance
- Eastern Oregon CCO Tuality Health Alliance
- FamilyCare Health Umpqua Health
- Oregon Health Authority Western Oregon Advanced Health, LLC
- Moda Health Plan Willamette Valley Community Health
- PacificSource Yamhill Community Care Organization, Inc.
As family physicians, we look forward to this opportunity to work together to keep our Oregon patients and communities healthier.
Oregonians who are covered by a participating insurance company may consider contacting their company’s member services to make sure they have access to this unique opportunity. Those Oregonians who are covered by an insurance company not listed above may consider asking their company’s member services if their company might participate and offer this benefit to their members or consider talking with their insurance broker about options to access this unique opportunity to get better health care.
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The Oregon Academy of Family Physicians is the largest medical specialty society in Oregon and represents more than 1,500 family physicians, residents, and medical students throughout the state. The mission of the OAFP is to advocate for family physicians and assist them in providing for the health of their patients and communities.
