Promoting Access to Care for the Chronically Ill
Chronic care management (CCM) is a vital piece of coordinated care and has been reimbursed under a separate billing code since 2015. Under current U.S. Preventative Services Task Force guideline, CCM is not classified as a preventative service leading CMS to require beneficiaries to pay a 20% coinsurance for this care. This creates a significant barrier to care, as demonstrated in data, that only 4% of Medicare beneficiaries potentially eligible for CCM received these services. Policymakers must waive the current CCM code coinsurance for Medicare beneficiaries to ensure appropriate use of CCM services, maximum access for patients, and improved health outcomes.