AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia Launches First Value-Based Program in the District for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment
The Community Partners Program demonstrates a commitment to children’s health and incentivizes providers to improve overall quality of care.
December 4, 2023 - Washington, D.C.
AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia (DC), a Medicaid managed health care plan serving the District of Columbia and a member of the AmeriHealth Caritas Family of Companies, launched the “Community Partners Program” to improve patient health, reduce unnecessary costs, and promote accountable care. The program, which rewards providers with incentive payments based on the quality of their care, also known as a value-based program, is the first in the District focused on the provision of Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) visits.
The EPSDT benefit provides comprehensive and preventive health care services for children who are enrolled in Medicaid from the moment they are born until they turn 21. Primary care providers in the AmeriHealth Caritas DC network are responsible for delivering EPSDT services, which include all relevant screenings and services in accordance with guidelines developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“The Community Partners Program reaffirms AmeriHealth Caritas DC’s commitment to help children and young adults get seen every year by their provider,” said AmeriHealth Caritas DC’s Market President and CEO Karen Dale. “The EPSDT Medicaid benefit is critical to helping make sure that enrollees under the age of 21 receive quality health care including preventive, dental, developmental, specialty and mental health services. AmeriHealth Caritas DC is pleased to collaborate with the providers and leaders of our community to better serve our children.”
The Community Partners Program was designed in concert with the provider group to improve patient health, reduce unnecessary cost, and promote accountable care. The program contains both quality and cost efficiency incentives. The quality measures were chosen to synchronize incentives with the work the provider is focused on improving, such as asthma, immunizations and lead screening. A web-based provider dashboard portal is included to promote transparency, collaboration, and self-service.
“By incentivizing the providers who are demonstrating the highest quality of care and outstanding enrollee services, we hope to encourage providers to render to members in the District the health care services they need and deserve. In turn, this will create opportunities for people of all ages to maintain health and wellness,” said Dale.
