Published by Open Minds on October 20, 2019
In a 15-month pilot program, a Woods Services patient-centered medical home (PCMH) for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) decreased the total cost of care by 8.7%. The pilot program was conducted from January 2018 to June 2019 with Keystone First, a Pennsylvania Medicaid managed care plan. The decrease in the cost of care was due to a 39% decrease in inpatient hospitalization costs, and a 2.3% drop in emergency room costs.
Medical homes coordinate care through increased use of primary and preventive care. Through the model, Woods offers integrated high-quality primary and preventive care along with behavioral health care for consumers through expanded medical center hours, adding new primary care professionals, increasing access to medical services such as radiology and lab services, and technology that will enable improved coordination and continuity of care, leading to better health outcomes for people with I/DD. The services provided by Woods are intended for people with I/DD, brain injury, or those involved with the child welfare system and who, in many cases, also have complex and intensive medical and behavioral health care needs.
Last year, Woods Services served over 600 consumers at its Langhorne location, of which 25% participated in the pilot. The goal of the pilot was to not only track reduction in costs, but also to increase primary care visits and screenings needed to provide consistency of care. To assess the PCMH pilot outcomes, the researchers compared previously reported MCO data on total costs for the pilot participants to their costs while served by the PCMH.
Based on the success of the pilot in the decrease of costs, Woods Services intends to expand the PCMH services to include to people with I/DD living in the surrounding community. Woods Services will also explore the expansion of telemedicine to more people with I/DD who are homebound and living in group homes, and those who are adults living with parents. Part of the expansion includes meeting with additional MCOs and expanding to New Jersey.
Woods is a population health management non-profit organization that supports 22,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities, complex medical needs, and/or behavioral and other challenges through its system of six affiliated organizations. Its mission is to help each individual achieve their highest potential and independence through innovative and individualized approaches that promote learning and personal fulfillment. Woods offers integrated health, education, housing, workforce, behavioral health services, and case management services.
