Impact of the Million Hearts Model on Myocardial Infarctions, Strokes, and Medicare Spending
2 min read
The Million Hearts Model, a program aimed at reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes among Medicare beneficiaries, has shown promising outcomes, according to a recent study. The program, which incentivized and funded cardiovascular risk assessment and reduction, resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the probability of first-time heart attacks or strokes among individuals at high or medium risk.
Over a period of five years, the Million Hearts Model led to a 0.3 percentage point reduction in the likelihood of cardiovascular events for those at high or medium risk. This indicates that the commitment of healthcare organizations to risk assessment and follow-up, coupled with payments for risk reduction, had a positive impact on preventing heart attacks and strokes.
Importantly, the study found that there were no significant changes in Medicare spending associated with the program. This suggests that the Million Hearts Model was not only effective in reducing cardiovascular events, but was also cost-effective, as it did not incur additional healthcare costs.
The program, implemented from 2017 to 2021, involved over 500 US-based primary care and specialty practices, health centers, and hospital-based outpatient clinics. The study population consisted of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 40 to 79 years with no previous heart attacks or strokes, but with high or medium cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
Participating healthcare organizations provided guideline-concordant care, including routine cardiovascular risk assessment and management for high-risk patients. They were rewarded for reducing the risk among high-risk beneficiaries with CVD risk scores of 30% or higher.
The outcomes were measured through 2021 and included first-time cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, strokes, and transient ischemic attacks. The study also considered combined first-time cardiovascular events and cardiovascular deaths. The results showed that the intervention group, which received the Million Hearts Model, had a significantly lower probability of experiencing cardiovascular events compared to the control group.
These findings support the use of risk scores and cardiovascular risk assessment in primary prevention strategies, aligning with current guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention. By implementing the Million Hearts Model, healthcare organizations can effectively reduce the occurrence of heart attacks and strokes without increasing healthcare costs.
Overall, the study highlights the success and cost-effectiveness of the Million Hearts Model in improving cardiovascular outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries. It emphasizes the importance of risk assessment and follow-up in preventing cardiovascular events and aligning with guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention.
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