Patient-centered care was associated with decreased utilization of healthcare services and lower total annual charges, according to research that was published in the May-June edition of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

The American Medical Association (AMA) and 112 state and medical specialty societies have urged the Obama Administration and Congress to repeal the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and permanently reform the Medicare physician payment system as part of any agreement on authorizing an increase in the debt ceiling.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has doubled the number of physicians it considers to be part of patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) since 2009, now designating 2,500 Michigan physicians in roughly 770 practices as PCMH providers.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) to increase the use of IT.

The University of Virginia (UVA) Health System in Charlottesville has received a $300,000 grant to study the Call to Health model, which uses text messages, stress reduction and other techniques to help African-American women manage type 2 diabetes.

A report from the Massachusetts Attorney General's office questions whether a shift to global payments will control rising costs if healthcare provider price disparities are not addressed and consumers are not encouraged to make prudent healthcare purchasing decisions.

Accountable care organization (ACO) formation will require significant upfront investments, so the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center should combine the Advance Payment Initiative with a grant program to offset that extensive investment, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA).

Fallon Clinic, a multi-specialty medical group based in Worcester, Mass., is affiliating with Atrius Health, an alliance of five community-based medical groups serving nearly 700,000 patients in eastern Massachusetts. Fallon Clinic will continue to function as a locally operated, multi-specialty medical group serving central Massachusetts.