Making Care Primary (MCP) Model

CMS is working with State Medicaid Agencies in eight States to test a new voluntary primary care model, the Making Care Primary (MCP) Model. The MCP Model aims to improve care management and care coordination by providing a pathway for primary care physicians (PCPs) to shift gradually from fee-for-service to prospective, population-based payments. This change is expected to help remove some payment barriers and increase the number of providers who are able to implement integrated behavioral healthcare.

The increasing complexity of Medicare and Medicaid patient cases requires PCPs to better coordinate with behavioral health, specialty providers, and community supports and services. The model will assist PCPs with building infrastructure to improve the integration of behavioral health into primary care, and will require participants to implement:

• Evidence-based behavioral health screening and evaluation processes
• Systematic screening for behavioral health conditions

The model will launch July 1, 2024, and CMS will begin accepting applications for the model this summer.

To review the research and data on these topics, see:

• CMS - Making Care Primary (MCP) Model
• CMS - CMS Announces Multi-State Initiative to Strengthen Primary Care
• CMS - The CMS Innovation Center’s Strategy to Support High-quality Primary Care