Understanding Your Chronic Care Management Charge

You check your Medicare statement and see a charge for "Chronic Care Management" on a day you weren't in the office. What's that about?

Great question—and one we hear often. This charge represents the comprehensive, coordinated care your team at Trinova Medical provides every single month to keep you healthy between appointments. Let us explain how it works.

What Is Chronic Care Management?

If you're managing two or more chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or arthritis, Chronic Care Management (CCM) is ongoing support your care team provides between your regular office visits. It's covered by Medicare and happens over the phone, through messages, or behind the scenes as your team coordinates your care.

At Trinova Medical, CCM is the foundation of how we deliver quality care to our patients. It's not an add-on service—it's how we ensure you receive comprehensive, coordinated healthcare that addresses all your needs, not just what we can cover during office visits.

Why the Charge Shows a Day You Weren't There

Here's the key thing to understand: CCM is billed once per month, but the care happens throughout the entire month. The date on your statement is simply when the monthly service was processed—not when the care occurred.

Throughout that month, your care team was likely:

• Reviewing your medications and checking for interactions
• Coordinating prescription refills
• Following up on lab results
• Updating your care plan
• Taking your calls with questions between appointments
• Communicating with your specialists
• Checking in after hospital visits
  
  

All of this requires at least 20 minutes per month, which is when Medicare allows the practice to bill for CCM services.

What You're Actually Receiving

Think of CCM as having a healthcare safety net between appointments. Your care team stays connected to your health needs even when you're at home, catching small concerns before they become big problems and making sure all your providers are coordinating effectively.

Understanding the Cost
Important: There is no copayment or out-of-pocket cost to you for CCM services. Medicare Part B covers these services at 100% when provided by practices like Trinova Medical. The charge you see on your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) is showing what Medicare paid—not what you owe.

For more detailed information about how Medicare covers CCM, you can visit:

Medicare's CCM Services Overview

CMS Chronic Care Management Information

Voluntary Participation — With an Important Note

Participation in CCM is voluntary and requires your consent. However, because this coordinated, comprehensive approach is fundamental to how we practice medicine at Trinova Medical, we are unable to provide services to patients who choose to opt out of the CCM program.

This coordinated care model allows us to provide the highest quality care to our patients with chronic conditions, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks and you have support beyond your scheduled appointments.

If you have questions about your specific CCM services or how the program works, please don't hesitate to call Trinova Medical and speak with your care team. We're here to help you understand exactly what you're receiving and how we're supporting your health.

Your health needs attention every day, not just on appointment days. CCM ensures your care team is working for you during all those in-between times too.