42 U.S.C. § 256a–1: Establishing community…

Summary

The Secretary of Health and Human Services must run a program that gives grants or contracts to eligible groups to create community health teams that help primary care practices in the hospital service areas those groups serve. Grants and contracts must be used to set up the teams and to make set per-patient payments to primary care providers, as the Secretary decides. Eligible groups include States (or State-designated entities) and Indian tribes or tribal organizations. To get money they must apply, promise to be financially sustainable within 3 years, explain how they will add prevention and patient education tied to community resources, and show the health team will include a mix of health professionals (for example doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, mental health providers, nutritionists, and others). Each health team must make contracts with local primary care providers and help create and support patient-centered medical homes — ongoing, whole-person primary care that coordinates services, uses evidence and health IT to keep care safe and high quality, improves access, and matches payment to added services. Teams must coordinate prevention and chronic care, make joined clinical and community care plans, include patients and caregivers in planning, help with medication management and specialty access, collect outcome and patient-experience data, provide 24-hour care management and smooth hospital discharge and other transitions (including mental health referrals and youth-to-adult transition), use certified EHR technology, and report on results to HHS when asked. Primary care providers who work with a team must give care plans, share records, and meet regularly with the team. Primary care: clinicians who handle most personal health needs, build ongoing relationships with patients, and work within family and community settings.

Title 42, §256a–1

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall establish a program to provide grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities to establish community-based interdisciplinary, interprofessional teams (referred to in this section as “health teams”) to support primary care practices, including obstetrics and gynecology practices, within the hospital service areas served by the eligible entities. Grants or contracts shall be used to—

(1)establish health teams to provide support services to primary care providers; and

(2)provide capitated payments to primary care providers as determined by the Secretary.

(b)Eligible entities

To be eligible to receive a grant or contract under subsection (a), an entity shall—

(1)(A)be a State or State-designated entity; or

(B)be an Indian tribe or tribal organization, as defined in section 1603 of title 25;

(2)submit a plan for achieving long-term financial sustainability within 3 years;

(3)submit a plan for incorporating prevention initiatives and patient education and care management resources into the delivery of health care that is integrated with community-based prevention and treatment resources, where available;

(4)ensure that the health team established by the entity includes an interdisciplinary, interprofessional team of health care providers, as determined by the Secretary; such team may include medical specialists, nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, dieticians, social workers, behavioral and mental health providers (including substance use disorder prevention and treatment providers), doctors of chiropractic, licensed complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, and physicians’ assistants;

(5)agree to provide services to eligible individuals with chronic conditions, as described in section 1396w–4 of this title (as added by section 2703), in accordance with the payment methodology established under subsection (c) of such section; and

(6)submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

(c)Requirements for health teams

A health team established pursuant to a grant or contract under subsection (a) shall—

(1)establish contractual agreements with primary care providers to provide support services;

(2)support patient-centered medical homes, defined as a mode of care that includes—

(A)personal physicians or other primary care providers;

(B)whole person orientation;

(C)coordinated and integrated care;

(D)safe and high-quality care through evidence-informed medicine, appropriate use of health information technology, and continuous quality improvements;

(E)expanded access to care; and

(F)payment that recognizes added value from additional components of patient-centered care;

(3)collaborate with local primary care providers and existing State and community based resources to coordinate disease prevention, chronic disease management, transitioning between health care providers and settings and case management for patients, including children, with priority given to those amenable to prevention and with chronic diseases or conditions identified by the Secretary;

(4)in collaboration with local health care providers, develop and implement interdisciplinary, interprofessional care plans that integrate clinical and community preventive and health promotion services for patients, including children, with a priority given to those amenable to prevention and with chronic diseases or conditions identified by the Secretary;

(5)incorporate health care providers, patients, caregivers, and authorized representatives in program design and oversight;

(6)provide support necessary for local primary care providers to—

(A)coordinate and provide access to high-quality health care services;

(B)coordinate and provide access to preventive and health promotion services;

(C)provide access to appropriate specialty care and inpatient services;

(D)provide quality-driven, cost-effective, culturally appropriate, and patient- and family-centered health care;

(E)provide access to pharmacist-delivered medication management services, including medication reconciliation;

(F)provide coordination of the appropriate use of complementary and alternative (CAM) services to those who request such services;

(G)promote effective strategies for treatment planning, monitoring health outcomes and resource use, sharing information, treatment decision support, and organizing care to avoid duplication of service and other medical management approaches intended to improve quality and value of health care services;

(H)provide local access to the continuum of health care services in the most appropriate setting, including access to individuals that implement the care plans of patients and coordinate care, such as integrative health care practitioners;

(I)collect and report data that permits evaluation of the success of the collaborative effort on patient outcomes, including collection of data on patient experience of care, and identification of areas for improvement; and

(J)establish a coordinated system of early identification and referral for children at risk for developmental or behavioral problems such as through the use of infolines, health information technology, or other means as determined by the Secretary;

(7)provide 24-hour care management and support during transitions in care settings including—

(A)a transitional care program that provides onsite visits from the care coordinator, assists with the development of discharge plans and medication reconciliation upon admission to and discharge from the hospitals, nursing home, or other institution setting;

(B)discharge planning and counseling support to providers, patients, caregivers, and authorized representatives;

(C)assuring that post-discharge care plans include medication management, as appropriate;

(D)referrals for mental and behavioral health services, which may include the use of infolines; and

(E)transitional health care needs from adolescence to adulthood;

(8)serve as a liaison to community prevention and treatment programs;

(9)demonstrate a capacity to implement and maintain health information technology that meets the requirements of certified EHR technology (as defined in section 300jj of this title) to facilitate coordination among members of the applicable care team and affiliated primary care practices; and

(10)where applicable, report to the Secretary information on quality measures used under section 280j–2 of this title.

(d)Requirement for primary care providers

A provider who contracts with a care team shall—

(1)provide a care plan to the care team for each patient participant;

(2)provide access to participant health records; and

(3)meet regularly with the care team to ensure integration of care.

(e)Reporting to Secretary

An entity that receives a grant or contract under subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary a report that describes and evaluates, as requested by the Secretary, the activities carried out by the entity under subsection (c).

(f)Definition of primary care

In this section, the term “primary care” means the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 2703, referred to in subsec. (b)(5), means section 2703 of Pub. L. 111–148. Codification Section was enacted as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and not as part of the Public Health Service Act which comprises this chapter.

Amendments

2010—Subsec. (c)(2)(A). Pub. L. 111–148, § 10321, inserted “or other primary care providers” after “physicians”.

§256a–1 Establishing Community Health Teams to Support the Patient-centered Medical Home