New Tools Connect Patients to Chronic Care Management
The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy at the Health Resources and Service Administration is partnering with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the Connected Care initiative to improve chronic care management and provide resources to help you learn more about new ways to support your practice. Chronic care management services are a critical component of primary care. CMS established separate payment to increase payment for the additional time and resources you spend to manage the care of patients with two or more serious chronic conditions outside of the usual face-to-face encounters. The codes help pay for the between-appointment help your Medicare and dual eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) patients with multiple chronic conditions need to stay on track with their treatment plans and overall health. Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers may currently use CPT code 99490 for 20 minutes or more of care coordination. Please note that new billing codes for provision of chronic care management and behavior health integration are being finalized for 2018.
Download the Connected Care Health Care Professional Toolkit to find information about eligibility, resources about service requirements and how to bill, a video featuring a health care professional talking about her experience, patient education video, postcards, and posters, and other resources to help you build an effective program in your practice. You can also order printed resources for your waiting room or download by visiting go.cms.gov/CCM. Materials are available in English and Spanish.
To learn more about chronic care management under FQHCs and RHCs, see our FAQs and Fact Sheet. Some updates have been made in 2017, reflected in Changes to Chronic Care Management Services for 2017 Fact Sheet, related to the allowance of oral informed consent, changes to reduce the administrative burden associated with providing CCM services, and the 2017 payment rate paid under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) for CPT code 99490.