Commentary
Health providers are paid to meet specific heart-healthy targets for patients as a group. But what if they’re instead asked to use a new predictive model to generate personalized risk scores and treatment plans?
Related: Take Your Statins, for Heaven's Sake
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is betting that the Million Hearts Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction model will benefit both health care providers (HCPs) and patients. The HCPs who opt to participate in the model will work with Medicare beneficiaries to determine their individual risk for heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years. They’ll then help patients determine the best way to reduce that risk—by, for example, taking steps to lower blood pressure. Providers will be paid for reducing the absolute risk of heart disease and stroke among their patients.
Related: Development of a Multidisciplinary Stroke Program
Over 5 years, CMS hopes to enroll more than 300,000 Medicare beneficiaries and 720 diverse practices in the program.