The Military Health System (MHS) www.health.mil is implementing more cost-effective coordinated care using the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model www.tricare.mil/tma/ocmo/PatientCenteredMedicalHome.aspx. According to a report submitted to Congress last March evaluating the Tricare program for FY 2014. MHS is working to reduce the unnecessary use of urgent care, emergency rooms, and shifting more of the enrollee primary care workload to PCMHs.
Today, over 3.1 million military beneficiaries enrolled at Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) receive care within the medical homes concept. The MHS is leading the way with the rest of the healthcare industry with 195 of its 440 PCMHs at Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) already formally recognized as PCMHs by the National Center for Quality Assurance.
Over 120 PCMH practices caring for 1.2 million soldiers and families have completed initial implementation. Of these practices, 23 are the soldier version of the PCMH called the Soldier Centered Medical Home (SCMH) that cares for 200,000 soldiers. In 2013, 64 new PCMH and SCMH practices were added with the remaining 25 practices to be completed soon.
The PCMHs now provide:
- Standardized forms to screen patients for height, weight, activity, depression, alcohol use, smoking, and overall health
- Behavioral health consultants working in primary care practices to identify and treat behavioral health issues
- Ways to target patients with chronic diseases who make frequent visits to the emergency department
MHS is expanding the concept of access to healthcare to include virtual care so that PCMH teams are available to individuals 24/7 to schedule appointments, and request prescription renewals.
Also in the future, MHS plans to improve the PCMH model of care by standardizing business and clinical processes across MTF’s primary care clinics. Plans are to implement a continental U.S-wide Nurse Advice Line for all MHS beneficiaries, implement a PCMH in specialty care practices like cardiology, and integrate pain management capability more fully into PCMH/SCMH practices.
The MHS also plans to continue to leverage a robust extended PCMH team program, to include case and disease management, provide embedded pharmacists, and behavioral health specialists to improve health outcomes and to increase the cost effectiveness of care in MTFs.