Are care management programs finally gaining some traction? On September 30, Dr. Thomas Bodenheimer of the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine praising programs that reduce the cost of caring for older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Dr. Bodenheimer concluded that enrolling high-risk patients in care management programs can prevent costly rehospitalization and reduce Medicare spending. Over the past decade, the John A. Hartford Foundation has supported the testing and dissemination of many proven programs, including Care Transitions, Transitional Care, Care Management Plus, and Guided Care. We are pleased that Dr. Bodenheimer also noted the many obstacles to adoption of these money-saving programs, including lack of economic incentives for providers and a nursing shortage.
“The evidence is strong that well-designed care management can substantially reduce costs for patients with complex health needs,” Dr. Bodenheimer wrote. We couldn’t agree more. Now we need to find ways to align incentives in favor of these cost-containing, patient-friendly programs.