This technical assistance brief from the Center for Health Care Strategies describes five “levers” to strengthen small physician practices that participate in the Medicaid program and present “high-volume, high-opportunity” for practice improvement. These practices are critical to the care of low-income and racially and ethnically diverse Medicaid beneficiaries, yet are often under-resourced and disenfranchised from supports in the larger health care system. State Medicaid programs can:
1. Serve as a neutral convener and create alignment across payers and practice improvement activities
2. Use Medicaid data to identify and target high-volume, high-opportunity practices for transformation
3. Use Medicaid’s leadership to shift care management and quality improvement resources to the point of care
4. Use Medicaid’s purchasing power to support adoption and meaningful use of HIT; and
5. Serve as a laboratory to test financial incentives and payment reform approaches.
Ignatius Bau 