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Maryland Department of Health announces open application period for Maryland Primary Care Program

June 7th, 2023 by WCBC Radio

The Maryland Department of Health, in partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is now accepting applications from eligible Maryland primary care practices, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and Care Transformation Organizations for participation in the Maryland Primary Care Program beginning January 1, 2024. This will be the final application period for the program under the current agreement with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“Expanding our statewide primary care program is a critical part of our mission to build a strong and equitable primary care delivery system inclusive of all Marylanders’ health care needs,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Laura Herrera Scott. “Participating practices will receive essential support and resources to invest in enhanced infrastructure to transform care delivery.”

The Maryland Primary Care Program is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical support to members, including 538 primary care practices and nearly 2,300 health care providers serving more than 4 million Marylanders. The program’s mission is to transform primary care by enabling primary care practices to have an expanded role in prevention, management of chronic disease, and preventing unnecessary hospital utilization.

These practices will be provided with free resources including practice transformation coaches, an interactive learning system, and data-driven tools to support care transformation.

Eligible primary care practitioners include providers specializing in general practice, family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatric medicine, geriatric medicine, and co-located psychiatry.

Practice eligibility also includes: 

  • Use of a 2015 certified electronic health record 
  • Provide service to a minimum of 125 attributed Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries 

The application period is open through Monday, July 17 at 11:59 pm. Program information, the program application, and registration links for application webinars can be found on the Maryland Primary Care Program website.