The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has unveiled a new measure designed to bolster investments in person-centered primary care. The initiative, supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), aims to foster competition in healthcare. It includes provisions for monthly prospective primary care payments and a one-time advanced shared savings payment to Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).

According to an HHS news release, these payment plans will equip ACOs with the necessary funds to cover administrative costs and associated expenses required to establish an ACO. Additionally, shared savings payments and monthly prospective primary care payments (PPCPs) will be distributed by ACOs to primary care practices, thereby providing more resources for individual healthcare. The Innovation Center is also actively leveraging the Affordable Care Act to identify healthcare resources that can alleviate costs within the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare, and Medicaid.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra stated, "We continue our work to improve the quality of care for people with Medicare by encouraging more primary care providers to participate in the ACO Primary Care Flex Model." He further added that incentivizing greater investments in primary care would stimulate competition among healthcare providers and enable more individuals to receive coordinated, high-quality preventive care. Becerra also emphasized that HHS would persist in building on the Affordable Care Act's achievements.

The news release clarified that the ACO PC Flex Model forms part of HHS's strategy to enhance primary care and reduce health disparities through health equity. The model encourages team-based approaches to social and medical needs. County-average spending will significantly influence how PPCP devises rates aimed at helping underserved communities access primary healthcare.

CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said, "People whose primary care provider participates in the ACO PC Flex Model may get care in more convenient ways." She explained that this could include home-based or virtual care, additional assistance managing chronic diseases, and increased preventive health services. Brooks-LaSure also noted that CMS is supporting primary care clinicians by offering them more flexibility to provide person-centered care.