Primary Care Network

Primary Care Network Changes Medicare Status And Increases Services for Seniors

The Primary Care Offices of Mercy Health Partners (MHP) have reclassified their Medicare status, making them outpatient departments of the hospital. This change will not impact the services previously offered by the Primary Care Network. It will however allow these offices to provide a wider spectrum of comprehensive services, improving the overall quality of patient care.

The reclassification went in effect January 3, 2005 and was done in an effort to ensure patients leave their physicians office feeling confident and informed about their health.

As part of this change, in the coming months, the offices will be adding several new services not generally offered in a primary care office setting. The additional services will include:

• Social work services to assist patients with medication compliance, follow up with patients after their visits, and help with assisted living and nursing home placement issues. The social worker will also provide valuable assistance by helping patients obtain their medications for as little cost as possible through the new Medicare prescription drug benefit program and other pharmaceutical patient assistance programs. This type of service has been available at Mercy Geriatric Care Center since March of 2004 and the social worker there has helped many patients save hundreds of dollars on their prescription medications.

• Diabetic education services include diabetic education, nutritional counseling, home blood glucose monitoring, and assistance with insulin and medication dosing and related issues.

• Clinical pharmacy support services to work closely with patients and their physicians to ensure they are taking the most effective and cost-efficient medications for their specific needs. The pharmacist will help patients manage complicated medial problems and multiple medications. They will also ensure patients understand the medications they are taking and how they affect their health and well-being.

Work is currently being done within the Primary Care Network to fill the additional staff positions. The expectation is that services will be in place by summer 2005.

Not all of the offices will have every new service available. The offices selected the services that best fit the needs of their current patient population. The following illustrates which services each primary care office will offer:

Harbour Pointe Medical Associates
(231) 672-6700
Social work Services
Clinical pharmacy support services

Kinney and Parrett
(231) 672-2201
Social work Services
Diabetic education services

Mercy Geriatric Care Center
(231) 672-6740
Social work Services
Diabetic education services
Clinical pharmacy support services

Mercy Westshore Internal Medicine
(231) 672-2203
Social work Services
Diabetic education services
Clinical pharmacy support services

Northshore Family Practice
(231) 744-1655
Social work Services
Diabetic education services
Clinical pharmacy support services

Westshore Family Medicine
(231) 672-3177
Social work Services
Diabetic education services

White Lake Family Practice
(231) 893-6363
Social work Services
Diabetic education services
Clinical pharmacy support services

This change in Medicare status will mean that some Medicare patients may experience a small increase in their co-pay costs for office visits. Patients without a secondary insurance, or those with a secondary insurance that does not cover office visits, will see an estimated $7-$12 increase per visit. However, it is believed that this will be made up for with the money saved on prescription costs with help from the social worker.

If you currently do not have a primary care physician and would like to choose one that offers the above-mentioned services, please call our physician referral line at (231) 720-1819.

Primary Care Network