Enhancing the Quality of Medical Home Services

Grant Summary

The John A. Hartford Foundation has made a grant to Johns Hopkins University to develop and distribute educational resources and technical assistance to primary care practices participating in a new $400 million Medicare Medical Home Demonstration project. The Demonstration will test whether reimbursement for improved primary care management of elderly patients with multiple chronic conditions will lead to improved health and reduced health care costs. Funding for the project will be used to develop and disseminate technical assistance and Web-based resources built on the Guided Care model, tailored to primary care physicians and nurses participating in the Medicare Medical Home Demonstration project. The technical assistance will be provided in partnership with the major primary care physician organizations including the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians. The Medicare Medical Home Demonstration project, which was authorized by Congress in 2006, will provide incentive payments to primary care practices in up to eight states for chronic condition care management that is comprehensive, evidence-based, and uses health information technology while supporting patients’ management of their own conditions. Guided Care, which utilizes a trained nurse to personalize care and teach patients and their families how to manage chronic conditions, is a model for the Medical Home that will serve as a valuable resource to the demonstration project participants. For more information on the Guided Care model developed at Johns Hopkins University, please visit http://www.guidedcare.org. For more information on the Medicare Medical Home Demonstration project, please visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov/DemoProjectsEvalRpts/MD.