PCC Can Help Your Practice Become a Patient-Centered Medical Home

Did you know that practices designated as Patient-Centered Medical Homes stand to see a substantial increase in annual revenue through enhanced Medicaid and private payors?

Did you know your practice might not need an EHR to become a PCMH?

Did you know that PCC wants to help your office through the steps of becoming a PCMH?

We've created a quick survey to help us gauge what you may already know about the PCMH program and whether you'd be interested in letting us help you gain recognition. Click below to take the survey.

http://survey.pcc.com/index.php?sid=96782&lang=en

PCC and The Verden Group can offer the combined practice management system knowledge and clinical management guidance needed for PCC practices to achieve PCMH recognition through the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA). But first we want to know how best to assist our practices participating in the program that emphasizes the systematic use of patient-centered, coordinated care and rewards practices for embracing it.

Based on the survey results, PCC and seasoned PCMH consultants at The Verden Group would offer live seminars, weekly webinars and/or on-site practice visits that focus on the application process and tools a practice needs to achieve certification.

For example, PCC Partner practices that don't have EHR can use of the practice management system's clinical tools – such as recaller, the phone encounter notes program and the dashboard – to achieve NCQA Levels 1 and 2, and possibly, level 3 status, depending on the practice's ability to electronically track lab tests and referrals.

PCC's Chip Hart says the time is now for practices to start planning for PCMH recognition. “I think it's vital,” he says. “Not only is PCMH certification going to become the standard of care, there's really good money in it right now, more than practices can get from ARRA."

ARRA gives qualifying practices that make the switch to EHR up to $63,750 per physician in one-time, additional Medicaid payments.  

Many practices can see the biggest return on their investment, however, through the incentive program offered by the non-profit National Committee for Quality Assurance. It encourages practices to embrace the medical home model by upping insurance reimbursement rates per patient, per month, for qualifying practices.

Next year, Newport Pediatrics, a PCC EHR practice that recently received Level 3 certification and treats some 2,500 patients, should see an increased annual revenue of about $44,000.

So far, Newport Pediatrics is one of only 10 PCC practices that have earned NCQA PCMH certification. says PCC's Tim Proctor. “Some practices may know what a medical home is because the model has been emphasized by the AAP for many years, but few know about the certification process. Our hope is to make clients more knowledgable about PCMH.”