Advocating for Primary Care in a Budget Crisis….and Beyond Presentation to the
National Association of Community Health Centers _________________________ Kate Breslin, Community Health Care Association of New York State Dan Lowenstein, Primary Care Development Corporation August 24, 2009
www.nyprimarycarehome.org
Overview • Background • Opportunities • Forming the Coalition • Coalition Strategies and Tactics • Challenges • Outcomes
Background – Why? Historically, New York has: • An extremely strong acute care system and an undersized, disorganized primary care sector. • High and rising health care costs (including but not limited to Medicaid) with mediocre health outcomes. • Large disparities in access & outcomes. • Highest Medicaid spending in the US, with mediocre outcomes.
Background – Opportunities • Recognition of inefficient and expensive health care system • Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century (Hospital Closing Commission) formed to address costs • Governor offers a “fresh start” – promises to transform New York’s health care system
Background – Challenges • Low awareness of primary care • Organized, resourced hospital sector, but disorganized, underresourced primary care sector • “Competing” agendas among primary care stakeholders • Rapidly contracting economy – groups competing for shrinking resources • Governor Spitzer resigns – early questions about whether Governor Paterson would support
Formation of the Primary Care Coalition • Primary Care Development Corporation (founder) • Community Health Care Association of New York State (founder) • Area Health Education Centers System • American College of Physicians • Academy of Family Physicians
Coalition Purpose Purpose: Place primary and preventive care at the center of the State’s health reform agenda with the objective of assuring a strong, effective primary care home for every New Yorker. Strategy: To build the consensus, visibility and momentum needed to do this.
The Primary Care Agenda • • • • •
Reform the payment system to encourage primary care by enhancing reimbursement for primary care services; Preserve and expand primary care infrastructure and workforce capacity; Transform the current model of care to a patient centered healthcare home; Aggressively promote the use and adoption of health information technology among providers of primary care services; and Expand and improve coverage to remove financial barriers to care
Aligns with/supports National Agenda Access for All America NACHC’s AAA Plan
Primary Care Coalition’s NY Primary Care Agenda
Capacity
Preserve, strengthen, expand on stable base
Transform to PCMH & expand capacity
Reimbursement
Expand revenue: grants and reimbursement
Reform payment systems to support primary care
Workforce
Assure workforce
Develop a primary care workforce
Capital
Augment capital resources
Support for primary care capital and HIT adoption
Infrastructure
Implement support systems and TA
Increase capacity through workforce, capital, HIT
Coalition Operations • Core funding: organizational selfassessments, augmented by additional funds as available. • Coalition leaders supply the policy expertise; hire: – Media specialist, given the need for a campaign – A parttime coordinator
• Coalition partners commit themselves to weekly “warroom” calls + periodic 1day strategy retreats • Decisionmaking is collective; requires rapid response from all partners on media issues
Strategies and Tactics – Key Messages • New York’s health care system is inefficient and expensive • Primary care is essential to* – Lowering health care costs – Improving health outcomes – Eliminating disparities
• Investing in primary care saves money in the system • Strengthening primary care must go hand in hand with expanding health insurance coverage * “Laying the Foundation: Health System Reform In NYS and the Primary Care Imperative,” Rosenbaum and Shin
Strategies and Tactics Policy • Developed 5point agenda for Primary Care • Issued reports and studies detailing need for primary care • Promoted third party evidence that supported PCC’s agenda • Publicly & actively supported New York’s primary care investments
Strategies and Tactics – Key Targets • New York State: Executive, Legislature, Hospital Closing Commission • New York City: Mayor, City Council • Focus on key decisionmakers in government • Built primary care “champions”
Strategies and Tactics – Outreach • • • • • • • •
Meetings with key legislators Testimony at public hearings Position papers on legislative/budget issues Regular mailings/emails Signon petitions Coalition listserv Website Media – Press conferences – Editorial board meetings – Edtiorial/Oped/story placements
Policy Research Primary care need, capacity, cost savings: • “Laying the Foundation: Health System Reform In NYS and the Primary Care Imperative,” (2006, Rosenbaum and Shin) • Analysis of potential cost savings through primary care investment (in progress, August 2009) • Primary Care Capacity Shortage in NYC and the Potential Impact of Hospital Closures (PCDC and HHC) • A Zip Code Analysis of Primary Care Need in NYS (AHEC) • The Future of Primary Care in NYS (ACP) Payment reform • New York’s Primary Care Reimbursement System: A Roadmap To Better Outcomes (PCDC) • Commercial Insurers’ Reimbursement Rate to New York’s Community Health Centers Jeopardizes Care (CHCANYS)
Website: nyprimarycarehome.org
Media Success
Cycle of Influence
Research Published
Media Strategy
Policy Implications
Policy outcomes – 20062007 • Hospital Closing Commission includes primary care investment recommendations • Primary care policy included in gubernatorial primary and election campaigns • Assembly hearings on primary care
Policy outcomes – 20082009 • New York makes historic shift in investments from inpatient to outpatient – $600 million invested in primary care in 20072009 – Reimbursement for important primary care enhancements (weekend/evening operations, asthma/diabetes educators – “DoctorsAcrossNY” loan forgiveness and practice startup assistance physicians to practice in underserved communities – New Primary Care Quality Standards Statewide Medical Home slated for 2010 – Positive changes in primary care safety net/uninsured funding
• Dedicated $200M special grant funding to expand primary care capacity, assist in HIT adoption
What’s Next? • Strategically grow coalition to engage other supporters • Expand media presence, including social media • Assure continued success of the 4year reform agenda in the face of continuing hospital opposition, State budget crisis. • Monitor feedback on reforms – Are they having the desired impact on quality and access? Are they sufficient?
• Leverage new opportunities – Impact of federal health reform primary care – Federal HIT impact/opportunities/ARRA
Big Challenges • Policy Challenges – Primary and preventive care are a silent need difficult to “light on fire” as an issue. – Historic underfunding lack of power and visibility compared to other health care sectors. – Health care reform defined as insurance expansion
• Coalition Challenges – Consensus decisionmaking – Resources, organizational capacity
Reflections: The Policy Front • The importance of campaign skills • The need for credibility • Expanded Coverage vs. Delivery System Reform: Why “you can’t have one without the other” • The need to keep reinforcing messagse – to policymakers, partners, media
Reflections: All Fronts The importance of: • • • •
Building clarity, consensus on the problems Having actionable strategies Building stakeholders/partnerships Remembering that we are stronger together than we are apart (even though we don’t always agree)
Dan Lowenstein at (212) 4373942 www.pcdcny.org
Kate Breslin at (518) 4340767 www.chcanys.org
www.nyprimarycarehome.org