Innovation in funding chronic care management

Sometimes, more care earlier on can be less costly in the long-term. KFF Health News reported on a program known as Chronic Care Management, where Medicare pays doctors extra to monitor the health of their patients who have two or more chronic conditions. The article reports that early research found that the program reduced total health spending (by decreasing visits to hospitals), but also that participation has been limited.

From the doctors' side, increased documentation is needed, and new staff might need to be hired to handle the increased work. Not all patients want to participate, since some of them do not want to "be bothered or asked if they are exercising or losing weight or watching their salt intake."

Nevertheless, this program seems innovative in that it appears to reduce the long-term total cost of care while actually improving quality of care for those who participate. The article also points out that companies have jumped in to offer their services to help reduce the workload for doctors' offices. Some services appear to work better than others, but overall, this appears to be another example of capitalism at work.