CMS introduced a new care model aiming to help states improve healthcare costs, quality and efficacy for their populations.
The States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development model (AHEAD) was created to address chronic disease, behavioral health and other medical conditions through promoting health equity, increasing access to primary care services, maintaining sustainable healthcare expenditures and lower costs for patients, according to a Sept. 5 news release from CMS.
CMS will give up to $12 million to up to eight states redesign statewide healthcare delivery to improve care quality and efficacy to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes, according to the release. The redesign includes implementing specific payment models for participating providers, improving care coordination for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and increasing screening and referrals to community resources like housing and transportation.
"In our current healthcare system, fragmented care contributes to persistent, widening health disparities in underserved populations," Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, CMS administrator, said in the release. "The AHEAD Model is a critical step towards addressing disparities in both healthcare and health equity while improving overall population health."