Project linked to health law will pay to enhance primary care

A federal health agency will pay roughly 500 local medical practices to provide enhanced services like better office hours and preventive care, according to a plan announced Wednesday.

The four-year project will be administered by the Medicare agency's Innovation Center, which the 2010 healthcare law created to improve the delivery of health services and reduce costs.

In addition to paying participating practices an average of $20 per Medicare beneficiary per month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will work with insurers to provide similar financial incentives for practices that provide more than just basic services.

"We know that when we support primary care, we get healthier patients and lower costs," said Acting CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.

"This initiative shows that the public and private sectors can come together to meet the critical need for these services."

Participating regions are Arkansas, Colorado, New Jersey, Oregon, New York's Capital District, the Cincinnati-Dayton corridor and Tulsa, Okla.

These markets each had "a diverse pool of applicants from commercial health plans, State Medicaid agencies and self-insured businesses who hoped to work alongside Medicare to support comprehensive primary care," a release stated.

Enhanced primary-care services would include the use of electronic health records and care coordination with other providers, according to CMS.