Analysis & commentary. Partnering private primary care practices with federally qualified health centers in the care of complex patients.

Federally qualified health centers and small primary care practices have many challenges in common: uninsured patients; growing numbers of chronically ill patients with complex needs; inadequate reimbursements by commercial health plans; and persistent staffing problems. Smaller primary care practices also face sizable barriers to participating in new delivery and payment models that are likely to proliferate in the wake of health reform. To help remedy primary care shortages in the context of implementing health reform, independent primary care providers could contract with nearby federally qualified health centers to provide comprehensive care management services for patients with complicated health problems. Small practices could then concentrate on providing individualized medical care, while health centers would receive additional income to help cover operating expenses.