What are chronic care management services?
Established to provide 24/7 care coordination services, chronic care management services are conducted over the phone in between regular office visits, which will allow the doctor to better manage your chronic health problems by contacting you for a monthly “call visit” to monitor how your medications are working for you, discuss how well you are feeling, coordinate care between specialists or other providers you see, and provide coaching related to your chronic conditions.
There are multiple benefits to chronic care management services. To start, it will reduce the amount of money you pay if you see the doctor more frequently and save you time from arranging for transportation and traveling to the office, and the doctor will be more informed about your condition. Our chronic care professionals have your best interest in mind.
Benefits of chronic care management services
You may feel like your doctor already does some of this for you for free. However, with chronic care management services, your doctor is able to devote more resources and the time necessary to more closely monitor your condition with little or no cost burden to you as the patient. Other benefits include:
- You will still have scheduled office visits at medically-appropriate visit intervals, for example, every three to six months. If you get sick or injured, you can schedule an appointment just as you always have.
- We will work with you to help set up a short monthly "phone visit" to see how your medications are working for you, and if you are doing well. You can also call or message 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you feel your symptoms are not being managed well with your current medications or if you have any new symptoms.
- We will help connect you to services that could make a difference in you being as healthy, safe and as independent as possible.
- Pharmacists and other health care practitioners who care for you may contact your doctor for decisions or discussion about your care.
- You will not be charged if the time it takes to talk with you, check your medical records, make clinically-related calls, or document necessary information in your medical record do not add up to at least 20 minutes.
- You will not be charged for this service if during the phone visit, the doctor feels your situation requires that you come to the office for an assessment.
Chronic care management services eligibility
To be eligible to work with a chronic care professional, patients must have a provider affiliated with Firelands Physician Group. If they do not already have a provider, our staff will assist patients in selecting one. Medicare beneficiaries with multiple (two or more) chronic conditions expected to last a minimum of 12 months will be qualified for chronic care management services. Patients with other health insurances may be eligible for this program depending on their chronic conditions.
For more information about chronic care management services
Contact your primary care provider.
