For a care manager, the holidays can be a challenging time. Especially if you're tasked with engaging patients enrolled in Chronic Care Management (CCM).

Medical reimbursements are tied to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. They categorize and specify billing rates and rules for procedures, treatments, and care services.

Chronic Care Management (CCM) is a point of opportunity, right?

When treating chronic illness, how often do you consider a patient’s mental health?

Here you are, you’ve done it. You've decided to start a Chronic Care Management (CCM) program. The progress feels real — another innovative step forward for your practice. So, what now?

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to provide ongoing treatment for your patients between office visits and be reimbursed while doing so? Chronic Care Management (CCM) allows healthcare providers to do just that.

For many years, supporters of value-based care models have consistently promoted a very simple yet important position: care coordination improves clinical outcomes and increases patient satisfaction. It’s hard to dispute that proactively addressing and managing a person’s physical and mental health can lead to a reduction in unnecessary treatments and hospital admissions, and an increase in that person’s overall quality of life. This is more important when addressing those with chronic complex medical/behavioral issues that put them at risk of death. Never in our wildest dreams could we have realized the tremendous need for care coordination in combating a global outbreak.

During this difficult time, those calling Chronic Care Management (CCM) patients are frequently being asked questions about the current coronavirus outbreak – what are the symptoms? Can I go to the store? Should I be tested? etc. Because COVID-19 is caused by a new virus, what we need to know changes daily as knowledge increases about the virus’s effects.

Care Coordination and Wellness programs, with goals of improved health, better care and lower costs, continue to expand. Unfortunately, these programs lag behind in many rural communities. But programs like Chronic Care Management (CCM) are tailor-made for the rural population. Here are 6 reasons Rural Health Providers need CCM: