Lower Costs, More Proactive Care in Aetna and Banner Health Network Accountable Care Collaboration
28 August 2014 - 1:30AM
Business Wire
-- Hospital admissions decline; quality
measures improve --
Aetna (NYSE: AET) and Banner Health Network (BHN) today
announced that their accountable care collaboration resulted in a
shared savings of approximately $5 million on Aetna Whole Health
fully-insured commercial membership in 2013 and a five percent
decline in average medical cost on the members. At the same time,
Aetna and BHN improved cancer screening rates, blood sugar
management in diabetic members and reduced avoidable hospital
admissions. The results demonstrate that patients benefit when
physicians and health plans share resources and work together in
accountable care models. Further, Aetna and BHN saw savings
and improved medical cost trend on additional membership outside
the Aetna Whole Health product.
An accountable care collaboration is a group of health care
providers who assume responsibility for the quality and cost of
care for a group of patients. The collaboration between BHN and
Aetna gives consumers and employers better health care options.
Consumers who receive care in this new model save money by using
providers in BHN. They also benefit from a more coordinated,
personalized experience that is designed to produce better overall
health outcomes.
Through care coordination by a clinical team and proactive
management of patients’ needs, rather than episode-based treatment
of illness, providers in accountable care models can provide more
efficient and cost-effective care. Health plans support the
practice with relevant patient care data, analysis and quality
measurement along with financial rewards for improved care
quality.
“Aetna and BHN have a collaborative relationship that is to the
benefit of our members and employers,” said Chuck Lehn, BHN’s Chief
Executive Officer. “These results are rewarding because they
validate our model-- it is possible to deliver quality care at more
affordable prices.”
Aetna and BHN began their accountable care collaboration in 2011
and the tools and learning from this relationship supported BHN’s
Medicare Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model in 2012.
Aetna and BHN offer the Aetna Whole Health plans – ACO-centered
health plan products – to employers and individuals in the Phoenix
area. The products are also available to individuals on the public
exchange. In addition, Aetna care management and technologies
support BHN in delivering patient-centered, accountable care to its
Pioneer Medicare beneficiaries as well as Banner Health employees
in seven states.
“The success of this collaboration demonstrates that insurance
carriers and providers can work together in a unified approach to
provide quality, coordinated care while reducing health care
costs,” said Tom Dameron, Aetna’s local market president for
Arizona. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with
Banner to help our members live healthier, more productive
lives.”
Significant results seen during the second full year of the
accountable care collaboration between Aetna and BHN include:
- Improvements in cancer screening rates,
including cervical and colorectal cancer screening;
- Reductions in the percent of diabetic
members with poorly controlled blood sugar levels;
- Reductions in radiology services of
approximately 9 percent;
- Increases in generic prescribing rate
by almost 4 percent; and
- Reductions in avoidable admissions by
approximately 9 percent.
Aetna is working with health care organizations across the
country to develop products and services that support value-driven,
patient-centered care for all health care consumers. Nationally,
more than 2.3 million members are served by value-based health care
models.
About Banner Health Network
Banner Health Network was designed to provide a highly
coordinated patient care experience for beneficiaries of government
and private sector insurance plans. BHN is comprised of 3,000
Banner Health-affiliated providers, caring for 300,000 covered
lives. With a population health management focus, and a
sophisticated health information technology as support, Banner
Health Network seeks to provide high quality care at an affordable
price. Parent company, Banner Health, is one of the largest
nonprofit health systems in the country, with operations in seven
states. For more information go to www.BannerHealth.com.
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care
benefits companies, serving an estimated 45 million people with
information and resources to help them make better informed
decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of
traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance
products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental,
behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical
management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services,
workers' compensation administrative services and health
information technology products and services. Aetna's customers
include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time
and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers,
governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and
expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com and learn
about how Aetna is helping to build a healthier world. @aetna
Aetna Media Contact:Anjie Coplin,
214-200-8056Coplina@aetna.comorBanner Health Network
Contact:Jennifer Ruble,
602-747-3583Jennifer.Ruble@bannerhealth.com
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