CMS picks Dayton-Cincinnati area for major Medicare PCP pilot program

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has selected the Dayton-Cincinnati area as one of seven regions in the country to participate in a pilot program designed to transform the way primary care providers are paid for treating Medicare patients (Source: “Dayton-Cincinnati area to be Medicare test ground,” Dayton Daily News, April 18, 2012).

The Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative is a four-year program that will transform the way 75 primary care practices in southwestern Ohio are paid. Initially, the practices will be paid an average of $20 per patient per month to better coordinate care. They then would have the opportunity to share in a portion of Medicare savings.

“It’s going to drive huge practice change,” Dr. Ted Wymyslo, Director of the Ohio Department of Health said of the program. “It’s a movement. ... My prediction is it won’t be long until you see this migrating to all four corners of the state.”

Other regions taking part in the program are the Tulsa region of Oklahoma and Hudson Valley region of New York, as well as the entire states of Arkansas, Colorado, New Jersey and Oregon.