Rhode Island a Leader in Primary Care

Rhode Island a Leader in Primary Care

Rhode Island is a national leader in “making primary care more effective for patients and more attractive for physicians,” Health Insurance Commissioner Christopher Koller claims in an article published today in Health Affairs.*

To comply with Rhode Island regulations that require health insurers to improve affordability, health insurance companies in the state are increasing their spending on primary care—by $11 million in 2010, $24 million in 2011, and $39 million in 2012. Insurers must prove to the state that this financial support will be provided to primary care clinicians without passing on the cost to consumers.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island and UnitedHealthCare will use these contributions to invest in medical homes (primary care collaboratives that coordinate medical care, particularly for the chronically ill), electronic health records, and innovative physician compensation programs for that reward quality. 

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For more information on this initiative, see reports from the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner.

* Koller CF, Brennan TA, and Bailit MH. Rhode Island’s Novel Experiment to Rebuild Primary Care from the Insurance Side. Health Affairs. May 2010. 29(5):941-947.