If you haven’t yet come across the Michigan State Medical Society’s new report on Physician Workforce Recommendations, it is more than worth the read. The report is a culmination of 18 months of effort and focuses on four key areas: 1) Reforming primary care payment; 2) Reducing systemwide administrative burden; 3) Reimagining the training and education of primary care physicians; and 4) Improving the recruitment and retention of primary care physicians to practice in Michigan.
The report was covered in both Bridge Michigan and the Washington Post, in no small part because of its focus on the consensus that high-quality primary care is the foundation for patient-centric, coordinated, and cost-effective care.
The recommendations urge the following actions on primary care payment reform:
- Pass a legislative primary care spending target in Michigan of 12% of total medical expenditures, so primary care physicians can fund care teams of RN Care Managers, advanced practice providers (NPs/PAs), physicians, and auxiliary providers as appropriate for the practice panel;
- All payers (Medicaid, commercial, etc.) should transition their primary care payment models to a hybrid primary care payment mode; and
- Encourage systems, physician organizations, and similar entities to sign on to a voluntary compact to channel enhanced primary care investment funding to the practice level, ensuring practices can resource teams.
The recommendations for other areas are just as action-oriented and relevant. Read on here for the complete set.
Michigan Multipayer Initiatives 