The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires Medicaid agencies to increase reimbursement to primary care providers (PCPs) to reach parity with Medicare in 2013 and 2014, a match that is 100 percent federally funded. Proposed regulations released in May 2012 identified physicians with a board-certified designation of family medicine, general internal medicine, and/or pediatric medicine and their American Board of Medical Specialties-recognized sub-specialties as eligible for this rate increase.

To help states engage PCPs, this technical assistance brief outlines a recommended provider outreach strategy, including an aggressive timeline to implement outreach activities. It details specific steps to reach providers and facilitate the provision of the rate increase including: (1) identifying and convening key stakeholders; (2) developing an outreach strategy that builds on the state’s delivery system relationships; (3) establishing an advisory provider outreach workgroup; (4) developing a provider outreach work plan, including communications mechanisms; (5) crafting key messages and outreach materials; (6) outreaching to eligible providers and other key stakeholders; and (7) considering a post-outreach assessment strategy.

This technical assistance tool is part of Leveraging the Medicaid Primary Care Rate Increase, a CHCS initiative to help states use the change in Medicaid primary care rates to drive improvements in access, quality, and payment reform.