State officials will hand out $2.5 million to groups partnering with hospitals that are retooling their operations to better control health care costs and improve care.
The Health Services Cost Review Commission raised the money through hospital rates and will fund eight of 11 proposals received by the commission and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
The proposals were expected to offer ways to better coordinate care and improve health in the communities so hospitals can conform to a unique agreement the state has with federal Medicare regulators. Under the waiver, Maryland hospitals were given a global budget they can't exceed.
To achieve this, the hospitals must focus on keeping people from being readmitted, or even needing to come to the hospital to begin with. The model concept focuses on patients with multiple chronic conditions, frail seniors and those eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.
A review committee recommended awardees get between $200,000 and $400,000 each. They are: the Regional Planning Community Health Partnership, Baltimore Health System Transformation Partnership, Trivergent Health Alliance, Bay Area Transformation Partnership, NexusMontgomery, Howard County Regional Partnership for Health System Transformation, University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake and Hospital of Cecil County Partnership and Southern Maryland Regional Coalition for Health System Transformation.