South Carolina – Medical Homes
In early 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved South Carolina’s request to expand its Healthy Connections Choices program to require that most beneficiaries enroll in managed care. Healthy Connections Choices enrollees have the option to join a managed care plan or a primary care case management program known as the Medical Homes Network Program. In the Medical Homes Network Program, South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) (the South Carolina Medicaid agency) contracts with Care Coordination Service Organizations (CSOs) to provide medical home services to Medicaid beneficiaries. The CSOs individually contract with primary care physicians to create the medical home network. Palmetto Physician Connections and South Carolina Solutions are the current CSOs.
The goals of the Medical Homes Network Program include:
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Providing accessible, comprehensive, family centered, coordinated care (including 24/7 telephonic patient access);
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Providers that manage the patient’s health care, perform primary and preventive care services, arrange for any additional needed care, and focus on the physician-patient relationship; and
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Patient education regarding preventive and primary health care, utilization of the medical home and appropriate use of the emergency room.
More information, including specific provider requirements, can be found in the network contract and policy and procedure guide, as well as the provider manual for Palmetto Physician Connections.
Federal Support: South Carolina has received a duals demonstration grant from CMS to “coordinate care across primary, acute, behavioral health and long-term supports and services for dual eligible individuals.”
Last Updated: January 2014
Federal Support: South Carolina has received a duals demonstration grant from CMS to “coordinate care across primary, acute, behavioral health and long-term supports and services for dual eligible individuals.”
Last Updated: January 2014
| Aligning Reimbursement & Purchasing |
Care Coordination Service Organizations (CSO), administrative entities that contract with primary care physicians in a Medical Home Network, receive two payments for their services:
Networks that do not achieve savings risk a penalty that would require the network to return a portion (or all) of their prospective care coordination fees.
It is up to each CSO to determine specific care coordination fees and shared savings payments made to the participating primary care providers in their network. Care coordination fees to providers are paid out of the network’s $10 PMPM payment.
Participating providers continue to receive fee for service reimbursement from South Carolina Medicaid; the Medical Home Networks do not pay any claims.
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| Supporting Practices |
Under the Medical Homes Network Program, the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services contracts with Care Coordination Service Organizations to provide care coordination, disease management and data management support.
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| Measuring Results |
The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services requires participating medical home networks to work with the department to establish outcome measures relevant to the program.
Furthermore, an external quality review organization conducts an annual quality assurance evaluation for each medical home network. This process includes:
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For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
