The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken a significant step towards enhancing healthcare with the release of a Request for Applications (RFA) outlining model payment, care delivery, quality, and other policies for the eagerly awaited Making Care Primary (MCP) Model. This promising initiative aims to elevate the standards of primary care, enabling participants to offer patients comprehensive, high-quality, whole-person care. As the Application Portal prepares to open later this month, CMS invites interested applicants to explore the comprehensive details provided in the RFA. A dedicated announcement will be made once the Application Portal becomes accessible.
Making Care Primary Model – A Glimpse into the Future
CMS introduced the groundbreaking Making Care Primary Model in June, with the objective of bolstering investment in primary care. The model’s launch on July 1, 2024, will span a ten-year period and be initially implemented across eight states: Colorado, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Washington. The model’s primary aim is to enhance coordination among patients’ primary care clinicians, specialists, behavioral health clinicians, and social service providers. This integration is expected to drive better outcomes in chronic disease prevention, reduce emergency room visits, and ultimately improve overall health. CMS is collaborating closely with State Medicaid Agencies in these eight states to pave the way for comprehensive care transformation across payers. Efforts to involve private payers in this transformative journey are also on the horizon.
Eligibility and Involvement
To be eligible to participate in the MCP Model, an organization must meet specific criteria, including Medicare enrollment, billing for services rendered to at least 125 attributed Medicare beneficiaries, and having a significant majority (at least 51%) of primary care sites located in an MCP state. Detailed eligibility requirements can be found on the MCP Model webpage.
