Source: AAFP News, June 30, 2016, © American Academy of Family Physicians
Are you a family physician working in a solo or small independent practice and struggling to understand how the value-based payment models you’re constantly hearing about will work for you?
Here’s some good news about a collaboration between the American Academy of Family Physicians and Caravan Health, a corporation that knows how to prepare physicians for value-based payment models.
Specifically, Caravan Health has the know-how and resources to give family physicians the training they need to move forward and succeed in programs such as CMS’ Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model announced in April.
“The AAFP is excited to team up with Caravan Health to help our members prepare for CPC+,” said AAFP President Wanda Filer, MD, of York, PA., in the Academy’s announcement. “This new initiative offers family physicians more freedom and flexibility in caring for their patients, and the opportunity to be rewarded financially for delivering on the triple aim of better health, better care, and lower costs.”
The action begins immediately — just as Caravan’s CPC+ summer boot camp launches. This is a grant-funded resource and is absolutely free to qualifying AAFP members and their practices. Participants can join the nine-week virtual program any time (the sooner the better) and work at their own pace.
Sound exciting? If so, act quickly because availability of grant funding is limited and this resource offers a tremendous learning opportunity for practices.
The first step is to contact the AAFP today or call 800.274.2237 to connect with an AAFP staff member who will assess your boot camp eligibility and determine whether this free resource will benefit your practice situation.
CPC+ Model Details
Importantly, the CPC+ program is a multipayer model, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has already solicited payers to participate. The 20 markets across the country chosen to implement the CPC+ model will be announced on Friday, July 15.
Once that announcement is made, the application period begins and runs through September. But the AAFP is advising physicians not to delay boot camp participation while awaiting CMS’ announcement about markets — the time spent will be rewarding regardless.
As part of its commitment to the AAFP, Caravan Health will review the participation requirements for the two tracks of CPC+ with practices to help determine whether they qualify.
If a practice qualifies and is located in one of the 20 selected regions, Caravan will walk the practice through the application process.
Both tracks have financial benefits for physicians. Track one includes a $15 average per-beneficiary, per-month (PBPM) care management fee plus an added incentive. Track two pays an average $28 PBPM care management fee plus incentive and offers as much as $100 PBPM for the most complex patients.
Want more information? Take time to watch an on-demand webcast titled “CPC+ Enrollment: A Window of Opportunity” and hosted by Caravan Health CEO Lynn Barr, MPH.
Many physician questions are answered in this comprehensive resource. More webcasts are planned throughout the summer, so check the schedule and subject matter for each event.
More From Caravan Health
In an interview with AAFP News, Ms. Barr noted that Caravan Health has offices Beaverton, OR.; Berkley, CA.; Austin, TX; and Kansas City, MO. Some of its physician services are offered face-to-face, and other resources may be accessed online.
“Caravan Health is dedicated to bringing better care to patients and helping providers succeed,” she said.
According to Ms. Barr, her organization approached the AAFP for a specific reason.
“This is really about transforming primary care and, particularly, smaller and independent practices,” said Ms. Barr. “The AAFP is the voice of the very physicians that CPC+ program was created to help.”
Ms. Barr noted that if federal programs have one common downside it is that, at face value, they look very complicated. “Caravan Health simplifies the program for physicians so they can be sure they meet all the requirements,” said Ms. Barr.
“They don’t have to figure it out because we already have. We’re doing it today with almost 17,000 providers. Family physicians can focus on taking care of their patients and let us focus on elements they need to succeed in the program.”
Ms. Barr knows firsthand the frustration smaller organizations face in trying to participate in competitive government programs. She served as the chief information officer for a critical access hospital in 2012-13.
“All these new programs were coming out and we couldn’t qualify for any of them,” said Ms. Barr. The disqualifying factor often was an insufficient number of patients.
“We started banding providers together and learning from each other, and that’s what created the infrastructure we have today,” she added.