33-40-101. (Temporary) Short title -- legislative findings. (1) This part may be cited as the "Patient-Centered Medical Homes Act".
     (2) The legislature finds that the increasing cost of health care makes health plans more difficult for individuals, families, and businesses to afford. These increases in health care costs are attributable in part to inadequate coordination of care among providers, difficulties in accessing primary care, and a lack of engagement between patients and their primary care providers. The purpose of this part is to enhance care coordination and promote high-quality, cost-effective care through patient-centered medical homes by engaging patients and their primary care providers.
     (3) The legislature also finds that chronic diseases are one of the biggest threats to the health of Montana residents. The purpose of this part includes promoting episodic evidence-based care in the community to reduce hospital admissions, enhance chronic disease management, and reduce costs for treating chronic diseases.
     (4) The legislature finds that there is a shortage of primary care providers in areas of Montana and that inconsistent access to health care services and variable quality of care have been shown to result in poorer health outcomes and health care disparities but that patient-centered medical homes offer a model of primary care that may attract new providers to Montana because the model is effective, sustainable, and replicable in small communities and provides a process to achieve higher quality health care for Montana citizens and a way to help slow the continuing escalation of health care costs as well as improve health outcomes for Montana citizens.
     (5) The legislature further finds that a single definition and common set of quality measures, as well as a uniform payment methodology, provide the best chance of success for the patient-centered medical homes model by increasing consistency in reporting across health plans and primary care practices.
     (6) The legislature finds that best practices are most likely to be recognized and adopted by primary care practices if a state-structured patient-centered medical home program works with programs that may be developed for health plans and primary care practices and for any programs in Title 53 for medicaid and in Title 53, chapter 4, part 11, for the healthy Montana kids plan.
     (7) The legislature also finds that an ongoing process is desirable to evaluate the effectiveness of patient-centered medical homes.
     (8) Notwithstanding any state or federal law that prohibits the collaboration of insurers, other health plans, or providers regarding payment methods, the legislature finds that patient-centered medical homes are likely to result in the delivery of more efficient and effective health care services and are in the public interest. (Terminates December 31, 2017--sec. 14, Ch. 363, L. 2013.)

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 363, L. 2013.