Chronic diseases in America are on the rise. At least 60% of all U.S. adults have one chronic health condition, and about 40% have more than one chronic disease.
This is big news, since chronic diseases are the leading causes of disability and death in the U.S. Fortunately, chronic care management (CCM) offers a way to boost care for patients with long-term, chronic health conditions.
At Prima Medicine, in Fairfax and South Riding, Virginia, our medical providers offer personalized CCM to help you stay on track with your health, improve your quality of life, and minimize your symptoms.
The Prima Medicine CCM program includes access to easy-to-use tools that can help you stay proactive about your health. It also includes access to a dedicated CCM phone line, 24/7 medical care, and a dedicated care coordinator.
Many insurers, including Medicare, cover CCM. And any patient with one or more chronic health conditions may qualify for our CCM program. If you have a chronic condition, take a moment to learn about some of the important benefits a CCM program can provide.
1. Coordinated care across teams
At Prima Medicine, we often hear the same complaint from our patients with chronic health conditions: Coordinating care across multiple care teams leads to frustration. Our CCM program can ease your frustration and make coordinating care easy.
Through your dedicated CCM care coordinator, we liaise with your entire care team, including your primary doctor at Prima Medicine, condition specialists, mental health team, surgeons, and even social workers.
With our CCM program, we remove the stress and pressure of care from your shoulders, so you and your health remain the focus of attention.
2. Improved overall care
Your primary care provider at Prima Medicine has an intimate understanding of your health history and a clear picture of your overall health. This puts us in the best position to see how your chronic health condition may affect or be affected by other issues, such as a new symptom or a medication change.
Through our CCM program, you have one provider who can coordinate with your other providers. You can rest easy knowing we won’t miss something important to your health. As a result, you can enjoy improved overall care, both preventive care and care for your chronic condition.
3. 24/7 access to providers
Your chronic health condition doesn’t follow regular business hours. With CCM, you’re able to reach a health care professional no matter the day or time when an urgent health need arises. Depending on your unique situation, we may direct you to a specialist or have you talk to one of our qualified providers. Regardless, you’re never alone.
The round-the-clock access to care our CCM program provides means you don’t have to wait and worry about what to do when an issue arises. And for some patients with complex conditions, such as diabetes, our remote patient monitoring (RPM) program can offer additional peace of mind.
4. Regular phone check-ins
You don’t have to remember to update your team once you enroll in our CCM program. Once you’re a part of chronic care management, you’ll have 1-2 phone check-ins each month with your CCM provider.
These check-ins offer an opportunity to report any changes in your health, health care plan, or lifestyle. Your provider can address any concerns and coordinate with your care team to ensure everyone is up-to-date with your health.
At Prima Medicine, our providers know you’re more than your medical chart. That’s why our CCM program looks beyond your chronic condition and checks in with you about everything that may affect your health, even if it doesn’t seem obvious to you.
For example, we may discuss your work and home environments, daily routines and habits, the foods you eat, whether you exercise, your stress levels and how you manage them, and anything else that may influence your health, to provide holistic care for your chronic condition.
This special attention to your health is why recent research shows most CCM patients report satisfaction with their program and no downside to taking part in the service.
5. Financially beneficial
Studies show that patients in CCM programs lower their annual health care expenses for several reasons, including:
- Reduction in unnecessary hospital or emergency room visits
- Ability to ask questions to a qualified provider over the phone
- Help finding less-expensive medication and treatment options
- Achieving health care goals reduces dependence on expensive therapies
At Prima Medicine, our team evaluates your health and reviews your medical history to let you know if you’re eligible for our CCM program. Remember that many private and public insurers, including Medicare, cover CCM care.
If you’re interested in learning more about CCM, book an appointment online or over the phone with Prima Medicine today.
