What is Principal Care Management?
At the beginning of 2022, the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) introduced a new care plan called principal care management (PCM). Principal care management is a model of care for reimbursement of healthcare services for treating a patient with one chronic condition. Being drastically similar to chronic care management, the only difference it boasts is that only patients with one chronic condition are eligible for PCM.
To be eligible for principal care management, a patient must have only one chronic condition that spans between three months and a year, or until the patient’s death. It would be a condition that has recently required hospitalization and puts the patient at a high risk of death, experiencing an acute exacerbation, decompensation, or functional decline.
Benefits of Principal Care Management
Principal care management model provides benefits to both patients and providers, including:
Improved Access to Care
One of the biggest advantages of primary care management is that it improves access to personalized care for patients who need it the most. In a principal care management model, patients get the personalized assistance they need to manage their chronic condition effectively. Patient outcomes improve, and patients become healthier and more satisfied with their treatment. PCMs improve communication and collaboration between patients and their providers.
With the help of principal care management, patients become more satisfied with the care they receive, are more involved, and are more likely to choose the same provider when they receive exceptional care.
Improved Patient Outcomes
The main aim of PCM is to stabilize a patient’s chronic condition as soon as possible so they can be transferred to their primary care physician. This would significantly lower the patient’s healthcare costs. This decrease in healthcare expenses is an additional benefit to patients and providers alike.
Prevention of New Diagnosis
With principal care management, treating diseases is much easier, as providers can treat a chronic disease as soon as it manifests. This significantly lowers the likelihood of a second chronic condition developing. With PCM, the provider can give undivided attention and focus to patients, leading to improved outcomes. As patient outcomes improve, patients will be more inclined to trust their doctor and ultimately take an interest in their health. Patients have better health results when they are more actively involved in their care.
Individual Support
Patients who take part in primary care management will have direct access to their PCM provider. The team ensures continuity of treatment, improves care coordination, and eventually improves patient outcomes. When providers spend individualized time with patients, patient engagement increases, resulting in improved patient outcomes.
Through care coordination, the patient has a healthcare professional guiding them throughout their treatment. Patients who participate in principal care management are given a care team and receive one-on-one assistance from that team to help them stay on track between sessions with their provider. Patients are engaged with regular check-ins, individualized support and care plans, and referrals to local resources.
Conclusion
PMS allows providers to increase their revenue streams while improving patient health outcomes. To help providers navigate through the realm of this newly introduced care management model, CareCloud has introduced principal care management into its digital health suite, Wellness. With our cutting-edge solution, providers can expect to experience in-practice revenue and improve patient outcomes.
