Primary Care Community Urged to Support AHEAD Model Application

  • 09 Jul 2024

As Rhode Island prepares to submit its application to CMS for Cohort 3 participation in the States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model, members of the primary care community are urged to send letters of support to EOHHS Secretary Charest. Letters demonstrating investment in the initiative will be included with the application to strengthen Rhode Island’s chance of being selected as one of the eight states to pilot the model. Connecticut, Maryland and Vermont have already been selected to participate in Cohorts 1 and 2. Click here for a sample letter of support.

The AHEAD Model provides Rhode Island the opportunity to introduce strategic and deliberate coordination of the multiple initiatives pursued at the provider, payor, and state level. The core elements of the model are:

  • Support statewide transformation to curb rising health care costs and invest in primary care,
  • Improve care coordination with primary care and other outpatient providers,
  • Improve population health through statewide health promotion efforts,
  • Give states and providers additional tools and incentives to align care transformation activities across health care delivery and public health systems, and
  • Advance health equity through new policies or programs.

For more information about AHEAD, visit the CMS AHEAD Model website. Please send letters of support to Secretary Charest by July 19 so they can be included in the application to CMS.