Building a Payment Model for Health Coaching in Primary Care: Lessons From Tennessee

AJMC September 11, 2025
James E. Bailey, MD, MPH, Susan W. Butterworth, PhD

This case study describes Tennessee’s process for convening key stakeholders to develop uniform payment guidelines to encourage increased preventive service delivery.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To describe Tennessee’s process for convening key stakeholders to develop uniform payment guidelines that encourage increased preventive service delivery and provide lessons learned that can inform similar work in other states.

Study Design: Descriptive case study.

Methods: Observational.

Results: Tennessee’s statewide multistakeholder health care extension cooperative, the Tennessee Heart Health Network, was instrumental in convening major stakeholders, including Medicaid, health plan, and safety-net provider representatives. Stakeholders reached consensus and developed and implemented common guidelines for reimbursement of health coaching services focused on cardiovascular health in the context of team-based primary care.

Conclusions: Tennessee’s experience suggests that statewide...

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