OnSiteClinics.Org

HHS Works on Managing Multiple Chronic Conditions

Medical Directors – HHS has been working since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on understanding how to better meet the needs of patients with multiple chronic conditions (MCC).  In December of 2010 the Department released a paper on the subject.  Those of you responsible for well-established programs have long ago identified this as a problem and have also likely already developed at least some methods for addressing it.  This paper establishes goals for improvement in the way the health care system deals with these patients (and to prevent others from developing MCC).

Those of you who are relatively new to employer-managed healthcare and on-site clinics may find the paper interesting and helpful as you further develop the scope of your services.  Whatever the phase of implementation you are in, the paper seems useful and worth a quick review, at the very least.   Statistics quoted in the paper indicate that about 25% of Americans have MCC but they account for nearly 66% of healthcare expenses.

The ideas the HHS is exploring include the inclusion of pharmacists in the management planning for these patients because of the complexity of their drug regimens; better identification of people with MCC and classifying them into subgroups which may benefit from similar approaches (development of formal guidelines); and maximizing successful self-care techniques (among many other avenues being investigated).

Further information will be developed by the work group over the months ahead.   If you are interested and feel that this group’s efforts may be of assistance to you (or you wish to participate in some way in the process), you can keep up with what is happening at http://innovations.cms.gov/ .