Evaluation of the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus Model

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Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) did not significantly change overall Medicare savings or claims-based quality measures over its 5-year duration, an analysis published in JAMA has found.

Why it matters: Spanning 18 regions and involving over 2,900 primary care practices, CPC+ stands as one of the most expansive efforts to reform primary care delivery in the U.S. 

What they found:

• Despite some reductions in acute care utilization and expenditures, CPC+ did not result in overall Medicare savings or substantial improvements in broader claims-based quality measures across its two tracks.

• There were some improvements in practices offering better follow-up care after hospital discharge and education about emergency room use.

• The model did show some positive associations with improved care delivery and management, particularly in practices participating in both CPC+ and the Medicare Shared Savings Program (SSP).

• Practices owned by hospitals showed less improvement.

Reference:

Singh P, Fu N, Dale S, Orzol S, Laird J, Markovitz A, Shin E, O’Malley AS, McCall N, Day TJ. The Comprehensive Primary Care Plus Model and Health Care Spending, Service Use, and Quality. JAMA. 2023.

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