Medicaid P4P gains ground.

A new study by the Commonwealth Fund found that currently there are Medicaid programs in nine states joining in regional pay-for-performance (P4P) and quality improvement efforts. Arizona, Maine, Minnesota, Kansas, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Washington and Oregon are the current states, with others considering collaborations. Among the trends found by the detailed national snapshot are that Health IT and incentives for adoption of electronic health records and e-prescribing are primary focus areas of many Medicaid P4P programs. Additionally, more than 70 percent of planned new programs are expected to start in the next two years and an equal number of existing programs operate in managed care or primary care case management structures. The focus in these environments is on children's, adolescent's and women's health issues. Although few states have conducted formal P4P evaluations, most Medicaid officials see the quality of care improving as a result of the programs.