Oregon has chosen to deliver its Medicaid benefits through these newly formed organizations.  The goal being to meet the triple aim strategy of:
    •    Better Health
    •    Better Care
    •    Lower Costs

Note the use of the phrase “all types of health care providers” in the definition.  This includes physical and mental health providers from the inception date of 8/1/2012.  Oral health providers will be included by, at least, 7/1/2014. 

We should start preparing today to support this new model.  It will involve coordinating patient care through these new local organizations.  Expect new reporting requirements, likely including data you do not collect today and the ability to securely exchange health information with other providers involved in managing that patient’s care. Software systems will need to be modified to support these activities.

Now you may be thinking that this will not affect your practice.  After all you see very few Oregon Health Plan patients. 

At an early September town hall in Beaverton, Governor Kitzhaber told those assembled that the state’s public employees and the private business sector would be next.  The state employee contracts are certainly under the governor’s influence and if the triple aim is met, private businesses will gladly follow. 

Couple that with the fact that the federal government is giving Oregon $1.9 billion over the next five years to develop this model and it is almost a certainty that CCO’s will be a part of every Oregon dentist’s future. 

Last week I blogged about “Connected Dentistry” and the need to develop the technology that would allow secure collaboration between health care stakeholders.  CCO’s will contribute to making this an even bigger right click.

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