Patient-centered medical home committee meeting

Yesterday’s meeting of the SustiNet patient-centered medical home (PCMH) committee was full of energy. The discussion highlighted the tension between all the stakeholder groups who want to make sure their issue area or profession is included with the need to keep PCMHs feasible. If there are too many bells and whistles, it will be impossible for any practice to become a medical home. There are others however who are resisting any standards, saying that NCQA, the nationally recognized accrediting organization, sets the bar too high for most small CT practices to meet. However, payers including the state are not going to reimburse practices for medical home functions just because they say they are doing it – there have to be standards and documentation to be meaningful. When it passes, federal health care reform will settle some of the debate as well as providing significant resources to support PCMHs. We are working on a list of groups to consult with and issues to address. There is a lot of excitement in the committee about making sure every CT resident has a patient-centered medical home and a genuine commitment to collaboration. I can’t wait for the next meeting.
Ellen Andrews