Report Offers 8 Ideas to Strengthen Primary Care in Medicaid

The Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) has outlined eight strategies to strengthen primary care within Medicaid, irrespective of other policy considerations like eligibility or benefit expansions. These recommendations, as presented in the report "Access & Equity in Medicaid," include increasing the share of Medicaid spending allocated to primary care and enhancing payment for primary care clinicians. Furthermore, the report advocates for the integration of behavioral health and primary care, payment for community health workers, and the encouragement of Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) attributes, which encompass comprehensive care coordination. Additional strategies involve the adoption of population-based payment models, the stratification of healthcare data with the inclusion of health equity quality incentives in payment structures, and increased federal funding for community health centers, including the establishment of new access points. These strategies collectively aim to bolster primary care delivery and payment models within Medicaid.