State Getting Grant To Improve Medical Care

State officials say Ohio is being awarded a 3 million dollar federal grant to expand an approach to better coordinate medical care for patients and change how certain procedures are funded.The state says the money will be used to design a lump payment for certain high-cost medical cases, such as a patient's hip replacement. The payment would be linked to the overall case, rather than the series of medical services needed for treatment. The grant also will go toward extending the use of so-called patient-centered medical homes, a model of primary care focused on keeping patients healthy. The approach is aimed at avoiding duplicative tests and unnecessary hospital stays. Ohio officials plan to design a strategy for the changes over a six-month period, then work to implement it.