Medical homes save money, but many practices 'lack what it takes'

Nearly half of all medical practices don't qualify as a patient-centered medical home, according to a study published this week by the journal, Health Services Research.   

Reuters: Organizing Care For Special Needs Kids Saves Money
Families with special needs kids can save up to a third of their out-of pocket medical expenses by having a so-called "medical home" coordinate the care for their child, a news study suggests. A medical home could be a primary care doctor's office that incorporates the family in medical decision-making and coordinates and follows up on visits to specialists (Grens, 10/20).

Medscape: Half of Practices Lack What It Takes to Be Medical Home
Based on nationally accepted standards, almost half of US medical practices and 40% of primary care practices fail to qualify as a patient-centered medical home, the home-sweet-home of healthcare reform, according to a study published online this week in Health Services Research. Lead author John Hollingsworth, MD, and coauthors write that small practices in particular will need a lot of assistance, financial and otherwise, to make the grade (Lowes, 10/20).