Improving the Medicaid Primary Care Rate Increase
<p>Since January, Medicaid agencies and health plans have been required to reimburse primary care providers at Medicare's generally higher rates. The increase, which is in effect only for two years, is expected to improve access to primary care services for this low-income population and potentially improve health outcomes. However, it isn't clear whether the gains will extend beyond that timeframe. </p><p>In a <a href="/blog/2013/improving-medicaid-primary-care-rate-increase">new blog post</a>, the Center for Health Care Strategies' David Bricklin-Small and Tricia McGinnis say that to ensure continued access to primary care, as well as opportunities to improve quality and lower costs, the payment rate increase should be made permanent. </p>
<p>Read the <a href="/blog/2013/improving-medicaid-primary-care-rate-increase">complete post</a> for all of the authors' recommendations for enhancing future iterations of the Medicaid primary care rate increase, such as allowing states to incorporate it into new value-based payment methods and granting states more flexibility to apply the increase to non-physician health professionals. </p>