In accountable care and MIPS contexts, what is intended by care management?

• A. Proactive coordination of services for high-risk patients via care plans, teams, and outreach to improve outcomes and reduce costs.
• B. Reactive only after hospitalization.
• C. Focuses only on administrative tasks.
• D. Is only for low-risk patients.

Answer: (A)

In accountable care and MIPS, care management means actively guiding and coordinating a patient’s care over time, especially for those at high risk, through individualized care plans, multidisciplinary teams, and proactive outreach. The goal is to improve health outcomes while lowering costs by preventing problems, reducing unnecessary hospitalizations, and smoothing transitions across settings. This proactive, coordinated approach is exactly what the described option captures: coordinating services for high‑risk patients via care plans, teams, and outreach to improve outcomes and reduce costs. It isn’t about reacting after events, focusing only on administrative tasks, or limiting care to low‑risk patients.