Arkansas One of 14 Regions Selected for CPC+

CPC+ is a nationwide, 5-year patient-centered medical home model that will include up to 5,000 practices across 14 regions, and includes Medicare, Medicaid, and private payers.  The AMS was instrumental in supporting the application submitted by Arkansas Medicaid and a group of private payers in Arkansas. Arkansas was also selected to participate in the initial CPC (comprehensive primary care initiative) model that began in late 2012.  This is the last year of the CPC program. The CPC+ begins in January of 2017 and will enable many more primary care practices to participate (it’s voluntary).  CPC+ is a product of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

The program includes two tracts. For Medicare’s part, Tract 1 will pay practices a monthly fee in addition to regular fee-for-service.  Tract 2 will provide monthly fees and a hybrid fee for service payment that will include up front financial support for “comprehensive” services.  Both tracts will provide up front performance-based incentive payments.  Whether you keep or pay back the incentive payments is tied to achieving performance measures for quality and utilization metrics.

On August 1st, CMS opened the application period for practices to apply for CPC+.  The deadline for applying is September 15th.   Practices may apply for either Tract 1 or 2, or both.  We suggest you apply for both to increase the odds of being selected.  Application does not guarantee selection but it is anticipated, given the level of sophistication of Arkansas’ PCMH program, that Arkansas could have as many as 200 practices selected.

For questions about the model or the application process please visit the CPC webpage.