PCMH Shows Benefits for Highest-Risk Members

With a new study of Independence Blue Cross members, evidence on the effectiveness of the patient-centered medical home is swinging back towards the positive.

Of 700 IBC members with multiple chronic conditions treated in patient-centered medical home practices, those with the highest-risk had “significantly reduced costs and utilization” compared to those with analogous health problems treated in regular practices, a study published in the American Journal of Managed Care found.

Those findings deviate a bit from a recent Rand Corp. evaluation of a large PCMH pilot in southeastern Pennsylvania, where little correlation between PCMHs and quality and cost was detected in a three-year analysis.

The new findings are likely to fuel more debate over the actual and perceived benefits of the PCMH, while helping create a foundation of evidence that also help tailor the way the model is used.

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Source: Healthcare Payer News