Reimbursement for shared medical appointments incorporating diabetes self-management education/training or diabetes medical nutrition therapy

Abstract

Advantages of diabetes-focused SMAs provide a triple win for clinics that utilize them: • Providers win through more efficient use of their limited time and resources, thus improving their financial bottom line. • Patients win through increased peer support and education, expanded time with their provider, and improved outcomes in terms of knowledge, behavior, clinical parameters, health status, costsavings, and satisfaction. • Payers win through reduced costs associated with patients whose outcomes improve. SMAs are not suitable for every provider or every patient, but they offer a potential option for follow-up medical management visits. A careful review must be made of the practice entity's patient mix, along with an analysis of the availability of resources and staff necessary to furnish SMAs effectively and safely. If this care delivery model is selected, there are many benefits to be realized. The acronym MORE can be used to succinctly highlight the benefits of SMAs for diabetes care. Providers, patients, and payers get MORE (Maximization of Outcomes, Revenue, and Empowerment of patients).