500 Primary Care Practices Named to CMS Payer Partnership

Some 40 public and private payers in Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Oregon joined the program. The seven pilot locations were designated based on the percentage of the total population covered by the participating payers.

The number of beneficiaries in each pilot ranges from 40,500 in the Capital District-Hudson Valley Region of New York to 51,000 in Arkansas. Participating payers include Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Colorado, Cigna, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare.

"Primary care practices play a vital role in our health care system and we are looking at ways to better support them in their efforts to coordinate care for their patients," Marilyn Tavenner, the acting CMS administrator, said in a press release.