Integrated care: incentives, approaches, and future considerations

The research and demonstration programs sponsored by CMS collectively address all the dimensions of the continuum of care ranging across multiple settings of care, providers, disease types, and severity of conditions. This article reviews current CMS activities and discusses several delivery programs in local communities that include disease management and the Program in All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and the contributions these have made to care integration and social policy development. Methods for accelerating knowledge development affecting the development of social policy, particularly collaborative efforts with PACE programs at the local level are discussed.