Overview & Statement of Need
Illinois is home to 2.1 million older adults, and at least 40% are 75+ years of age. In addition, more than 700,000 Illinois residents have ambulatory difficulties, and 40% of Medicare beneficiaries across the state have 4+ chronic conditions. Approximately 260,000 individuals in Illinois are homebound*, with only 26% of these receiving home-based primary care (HBPC). The unmet needs in Illinois are great; it’s estimated that nearly 200,000 residents need home-based primary care but are not currently receiving it. On the provider side, approximately 260 primary care providers (PCPs) in Illinois have seen 100 or more traditional Medicare patients at home between July 2020 and June 2021, with a median of 2+ visits per patient.
From research studies and trials such as the CMS Independence at Home demonstration, we know that innovative home-centered care models effectively address both patient and provider needs in the current health care environment.
HBPC offers an alternative model of care for the frail, complex, chronically ill, and disabled aging population: 1) improved patient outcomes; 2) improved patient satisfaction; 3) reduced costs, and 4) improved experience for physicians and other practitioners.
To address this urgent need, 17 Illinois medical practices, some independent, others representing hospital systems, and three supporting subspecialty groups including dentistry, dermatology, and wound care, have been chosen to participate in the Illinois House Call Project, an important 3-year project, building on their track record of caring for the state’s most vulnerable residents—homebound adults with chronic conditions. Each practice has designated up to three “Champions” to lead their work in the Illinois House Call Project with the goal to collectively enroll and serve 3,000 new homebound or home-limited people in their homes by 2024. These Home-Centered Care Champions are providers and practice professionals who have been prepared to serve as leaders and champions of home-based primary care using HCCI education curriculum, resources, tools, and market analysis.
In addition to increasing the number of patients served, The Illinois House Call Project will:
- Identify regional gaps in access to HBPC, and support the expansion of practice service areas to close these gaps
- Increase patient referrals from office-based primary care providers and specialists
- Promote the growth of high-performing HBPC practices by focusing on quality improvement
- Support recruitment of new providers to increase the number of high-volume HBPC providers in Illinois
- Spread awareness among the Illinois public (healthcare consumers) and the profession (providers, C-suite, payers) about the value of home-based primary care
Learn more about HCCI’s Home-Centered Care Champions.
View the areas in Illinois these Home-Centered Care Champions serve.
The Growing and Urgent Need for Home-Based Primary Care in Illinois.
If you have questions about The Illinois House Call Project, contact Sarah Briciu at 630-283-9200 or Sbriciu@HCCInstitute.org.
*Calculated using data from the 2019 American Community Survey 1-year Estimates and a journal article (Ornstein, Katherine A., Bruce Leff, Kenneth E. Covinsky, Christine S. Ritchie, Alex D. Federman, Laken Roberts, Amy S. Kelley, Albert L. Siu, and Sarah L. Szanton. “Epidemiology of the homebound population in the United States.” JAMA internal medicine 175, no. 7 (2015): 1180-1186.)
HCCI is a not for profit home-based primary care consultancy. HCCI does not provide managed services, is not a Managed Services Organization, and makes no representation or guarantee regarding the management of any participating facility.