Local primary care practices start move to healthy outcomes payment model

Health care payers across the country are shifting away from paying providers for the number of doctor visits and tests they perform and towards paying for healthy patient outcomes.

Delaware Public Media’s Nick Ciolino has more on a group of primary care practices in Delaware who say they’ve been able to successfully use this payment model to both save money for Medicare and improve their patient outcomes.

Jessica Marker and Linda Darling meet each other in person for the first time at the Southern Delaware Medical Group, a primary care practice in Milford.

But they’ve known each other over the phone for years.

Jessica is a Chronic Care Management Nurse at the practice and Linda is a chronic care patient.

“When I’m really concerned, I want to call the doctor’s office and talk to Jess. So that’s been very helpful for me,” said Darling.