5 key components of effective care management for Medicare patients

A recent report released by the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care identified five essential parts of effective care management for Medicare policyholders.

The "Bright Spots in Care Management," report, developed for the Better Medicare Alliance advocacy group, includes four case studies of care models in the U.S. and interviews with Medicare Advantage and care management experts. The case studies include Cerritos, Calif.-based CareMore, a Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plan and care delivery division of Anthem; Indianapolis-based IU Health Methodist Hospital's home care model; Portland, Maine-based medical group InterMed's pod-structured services; and Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicare Advantage plan.

Here are the five essential elements for effective care management, according to the report.

1. A flexible and innovative value-based payment system
2. A culture of care management with organizationwide buy-in
3. Effective teams in which care managers commingle with providers
4. Customized care that identifies patient needs and removes barriers to care
5. Trusting relationships from the top down

Read the full report here.