Kryptiq, a Beaverton, Ore.-based developer of population health management technology, conducted a benchmark survey to gauge providers' pursuit of the newly available payments in light of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services starting to reimburse providers last Jan. 1.
Caregivers who actively manage care delivery for Medicare patients with two or more chronic conditions are able to receive payment for the services if they use a certified electronic health record (EHR), obtain and manage patient consent, deliver five core care management services and provide at least 20 minutes of follow-up outside of the office in conjunction with the chronic care management program.
Part of this approach might include telehealth, mHealth News reports, with capabilities that could enable providers to monitor their patients at home. According to Kryptiq, the majority of respondents (76 percent) in its survey said they would organize and structure their services so they are better able to meet chronic care management program requirements within the next six months.
"When the implementation horizon was stretched to 12 months, 92 percent stated they intend to deliver reimbursable CCM services to eligible Medicare beneficiaries," the survey authors noted.
"The survey results provide additional evidence that the transition from volume to value is underway," Cynthia Burghard, research director at IDC Health Insights, said in a statement.
"For the first time, the Department of Health and Human Services has developed a timetable with specific milestones and thresholds detailing Medicare's shift toward new value-based payment models. The CCM program serves as an extension of health policy and complements ongoing changes to provider reimbursement."
As has been the case when making preparations for such programs and how to manage them, the majority of providers "intend" to pursue Medicare's chronic care management program, but many (43 percent) do not believe they currently have the required staff or resources to effectively implement, and another 26 percent of respondents said they are currently focused on other competing health IT initiatives. About 15 percent are concerned that they do not have the right mix of technology in place.
"It can be tough to hear that your EHR implementation, the result of much organizational blood, sweat and tears, is inadequate for emerging models of value-based care, such as chronic care management," said Malcolm Costello, general manager of population health at Kryptiq. "Fortunately, many providers are already extending their staff into care coordination activities in pursuit of other value-based initiatives, such as pay-for-performance or patient-centered medical home."
According to mHealth News, the Kryptiq survey highlights providers' willingness to move beyond episodic care and adopt a health management plan for chronic care patients that focuses on value-based care: "mHealth advocates have long argued that chronic care management should be continuous, enabling providers to communicate with those patients (and vice versa) at any time and place to ensure that care plans are being followed and health issues are addressed before they become serious."
Kryptiq's "CCM Provider Readiness Survey" took place during a webcast in January. The survey consolidates the feedback of nearly 200 webcast attendees drawn from independent practices, integrated delivery systems and clinically integrated network organizations throughout the United States.
