Tufts Health Plan funds initiatives in R.I.

TUFTS HEALTH Plan, which is new to the Medicaid market in Rhode Island, is one of three health plans that have signed contracts with the state to provide health care services for Rhode Island’s Medicaid population.
TUFTS HEALTH Plan, which is new to the Medicaid market in Rhode Island, is one of three health plans that have signed contracts with the state to provide health care services for Rhode Island’s Medicaid population.

WATERTOWN, Mass. – Tufts Health Plan has funded three projects in Rhode Island designed to test ways to increase patient access to behavioral health services within primary care settings.
The projects, to be implemented this year, focus on patient-centered medical homes within primary care practices.
The projects were designed by the Care Transformation Collaborative, the umbrella organization of patient-centered medical homes (formerly known as the Rhode Island Chronic Care Sustainability Initiative).

According to Tufts, the patient-centered medical home is a model for providing comprehensive primary health care for children, youth and adults. Patients are active participants in their health, and a physician-led medical team approach is utilized, which takes place at a medical office. All aspects of a patient’s care are coordinated, increasing preventive care and regular screenings, and supporting people with diabetes, depression and other chronic diseases.

“Research supports that patients will experience better access to mental health services if offered in a primary care setting,” Dr. David Brumley, senior medical director, Tufts Health Plan, said in a statement. “Our hope is that these projects will help strengthen how primary care practices can improve their abilities to respond to patients’ needs for behavioral health interventions and address some of the significant issues facing Rhode Island residents, such as substance abuse, depression and anxiety disorders.”

The following three projects were funded by Tufts Health Plan:

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  • Implementing education and training to improve the capacity of primary care staff to provide integrated behavioral health services.
  • Expanding Web-based referrals and care coordination to improve Rhode Island’s behavioral health referral network for primary care providers to refer patients for behavioral health specialist or addiction disorder specialist appointments.
  • Accessing technology tools for behavior change to improve patient engagement in making healthier lifestyle choices through interactive website applications.

“Tufts Health Plan is an important partner in advancing these projects that have been designed to improve integrated behavioral health as part of patient-centered medical homes,” Debra Hurwitz, co-director, Care Transformation Collaborative of Rhode Island, said. “The projects address the needs of medical practices around how they can more effectively work with patients in the primary care setting for such things as mental health care, substance abuse and unhealthy lifestyles.”

The projects were created based on findings from a recent survey conducted by the Care Transformation Collaborative of Rhode Island to assess behavioral health needs at primary care practices in Rhode Island that have implemented patient-centered medical homes.

This effort also addresses the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner’s requirement for major commercial health insurance plans to comply with a set of four Affordability Standards aimed at improving the affordability of health care in Rhode Island. Health insurance plans are required to pay a portion of medical costs in primary care as a “non-fee for service” offering, Tufts said.

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