In many state Medicaid programs, primary care is the foundation supporting other state health care priorities, such as value-based care and health equity. Better primary care is associated with improved health outcomes, lower health care costs, and reductions in health disparities. States can also use their Medicaid managed care programs to better meet the needs of Medicaid enrollees by promoting advanced primary care models.

CHCS is exploring how primary care and Medicaid managed care can advance state health care priorities through a series of webinars, resources, and blog posts. This series, made possible by The Commonwealth Fund, is examining the tools and levers that states can use to advance comprehensive primary care strategies and equitably improve the health of Medicaid enrollees. Following are topics addressed during the series, including links to register for upcoming webinars:

Webinars

• Working with Medicaid Managed Care Organizations to Ensure Equitable Access to Advanced Primary Care
• Increasing Investment in Primary Care through Medicaid Managed Care
• Using Telehealth to Support Equitable Access to Health Care in Medicaid
• Setting Standards for Advanced Primary Care Through Medicaid Managed Care: Considerations for Promoting Equitable Pediatric Care
• Integrating Behavioral Health into Primary Care Through Medicaid Managed Care
• Identifying and Addressing Health-Related Social Needs Through Primary Care Innovation in Medicaid Managed Care
• Implementing Primary Care Value-Based Payment through Medicaid Managed Care
• Supporting Effective Team-Based Primary Care
• Promoting Health Equity through Primary Care Innovation in Medicaid Managed Care

Blog Posts

• Investing in Primary Care is Essential to Achieve State Goals — and How Investments are Structured is Crucial
• The Doctor Will Hear You Now: Audio-Only Telehealth and the Promise of Access, Equity, and Engagement in Medicaid
• Raising the Bar: Using Primary Care Practice Standards to Advance Health Equity in Medicaid
• Behavioral Health Integration Across All Levels of the System
• Medicaid and Health-Related Social Needs: Four Insights over Four Years
• Building Medicaid Managed Care Programs Centered on Advanced Primary Care and Health Equity
• State Strategies to Promote Team-Based Primary Care Through Medicaid Managed Care
• Using Prospective Payment to Support Advanced Primary Care: Opportunities for States

See a toolkit, Advancing Primary Care Innovation in Medicaid Managed Care, that outlines strategies to support states in defining advanced primary care priorities and achieving related goals.