On June 8, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced their newest primary care model, Making Care Primary. The voluntary model is open to providers in Colorado, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Washington. The request for applications will launch this summer for a start date of July 1, 2024.
Making Primary Care is a 10-year model that features three tracks for primary care providers with different levels of experience with value-based care and includes Federally Qualified Health Centers. The model aims to reduce disparities in care while improving patient experience and outcomes. The model incorporates primary care capitation and up-front infrastructure payments for practices and emphasizes the role of integrating primary care with behavioral health and specialists. The CMS will partner with states and private payers to align incentives between Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurers.