Multiple payers buy in on medical homes

Are the stars aligning for a robust medical home movement?

Pilot projects for the patient-centered medical home being launched in four states have what apparently most — if not all — other efforts lacked: involvement by multiple insurers, according to an American Medical News story.

Under the medical home model, patients have a central primary-care physician directing their care (aimed at improving quality of care and lowering costs), and docs are paid extra for coordinating care. Read more about the model and preventive care in a recent Physicians Practice article.
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The idea isn’t new, but has been gaining momentum. What’s needed for widespread adoption? Reimbursement reform and electronic records, pediatrician and medical home proponent W. Carl Cooley tells AMNews.

Are these latest pilots the answer? Here, the plans and the docs will track patient outcomes, sending the data to be studied and published, which shed some light on how much money the model can save.

What do you think of the medical home model? Is this development signaling payer buy-in? Will it work?