Montana's Governor Steve Bullock announced a CMS initiative that will transform how primary care physicians in the state are paid, according to Montana Public Radio.
Here are five insights:
1. Under the initiative, primary care physicians will receive payment based on their ability to maintain their patients' health.
2. Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana and PacificSource are all on board with the new payment program.
3. Montana is one of only 14 states to implement the new program for primary care physicians, because the state's private payers agreed to participate.
4. Some key measures are cutting the number of emergency room visits and unnecessary hospitalizations.
5. More than 100 Montanan hospitals, clinics and physician offices have expressed interest in participating in the payment model, so far.