Maryland Department of Health

Newsroom

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January 21, 2026 

Media Contact:
Amanda Hils, Assistant Director for Media Relations, [email protected]

Maryland expands Primary Care Program services, bringing coordinated care to more Marylanders

Baltimore, MD — The Maryland Department of Health today announced the expansion of advanced primary care delivery throughout the state.  

Advanced primary care puts patients first by focusing on preventive care, care coordination, and better health outcomes rather than the number of health care services provided. The expansion of these programs will help Marylanders access primary care more quickly, more effectively manage chronic conditions and reduce unnecessary hospital visits. Approximately 1.2 million Marylanders who are enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid could benefit from these advanced primary care programs, which took effect on Jan. 1.

“Maryland is building a primary care system that helps people get higher quality care sooner, improves coordination among providers, and supports better health outcomes,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Meena Seshamani. “By prioritizing regular access to primary care, we are investing in the long-term health and wellbeing of Marylanders across our state.”

Maryland’s three advanced primary care programs are designed to provide more comprehensive and coordinated care for 1.2 million Marylanders enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid. By tying payments to the quality of care delivered and establishing clear quality standards, these programs enable care teams to dedicate more time to patients, coordinate across various providers, and address behavioral health and social needs as part of care. By strengthening primary care, these efforts help prevent disease, catch health issues earlier, and reduce the need for more costly care later.

In 2019, as part of the Total Cost of Care Model, Maryland launched the Maryland Primary Care Program for Medicare patients. Since its inception, this program has improved quality of care, with an increase in practices scoring above the national median in controlling high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as a reduction of avoidable hospital visits among Medicare beneficiaries. This program will continue to offer primary care practices enhanced payments and technical support to improve prevention, manage chronic diseases, and promote coordinated care.

Building on this success, the Department also launched the Medicaid Advanced Primary Care Program, known as the Medicaid Path, in August 2025. The Medicaid program expanded participating practices on January 1, in partnership with all nine of the state’s Medicaid managed care organizations, to cover approximately 800,000 members (nearly half of Maryland’s HealthChoice population). The Medicaid Path provides additional resources, such as data reports through the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP) and assigned Practices Coaches  to help providers enhance the quality of care and improve health outcomes for children, families, and adults enrolled in Medicaid.

The Department is now partnering with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to launch a third, new Medicare value- based advanced primary care program. This program will further expand access to advanced primary care across the state and create a pathway for more practices to participate over time. Unlike the 2019 Medicare program, this new model creates an entry point for more practices, making it easier to adopt advanced primary care and gradually move into value-based care.

"Primary care is a proven driver of better health outcomes for everyone, including longer life expectancy and reduced health disparities," said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Djinge Lindsay. "By increasing our investments in the state's Medicaid and Medicare advanced primary care infrastructure, our primary care provider community is better equipped to improve health outcomes for many of our most marginalized residents."

To learn more, visit Maryland's Primary Care Program webpage.

The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management, and community engagement.

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