The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has selected 500 primary care practices in seven states to participate in the comprehensive primary care initiative, a partnership involving government health plans, commercial health plans, businesses and primary care providers.

Providers participating in the four-year initiative, which was started in fall 2011, will be eligible to receive flat monthly payments from CMS or from participating health plans if they provide coordinated care to beneficiaries. CMS selected certain primary care practices for participation based on their use of health IT, participation in quality improvement activities and diversity of geography, practice size and ownership structure.

Approximately 300,000 Medicare beneficiaries will be served by more than 2,000 providers through the initiative, according to CMS estimates.

“Primary care practices play a vital role in our healthcare system and we are looking at ways to better support them in their efforts to coordinate care for their patients, CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said in an Aug. 22 statement.

For more information, visit the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation website.