Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, NHCMG partner under patient-centered care agreement

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and New Haven Community Medical Group announced today that the two organizations have partnered under a patient-centered care agreement that will create an accountable care model to help ensure Anthem members' access to quality health care that is focused on improved outcomes and lower costs.

“We value the importance of primary care practitioners in the care delivery model. For that reason, we designed our program to empower and incentivize primary care providers to manage the overall health of their patients”

Anthem continues to expand its work to support patient-centered care, a model that will help drive improvements in both the quality of care and cost of care. Under this new model, Anthem will support NHCMG's important clinical care coordination work they do between traditional office visits, and will support the adoption and expansion of patient-centered care principles within NHCMG practices. In addition, NHCMG members will be eligible to share in savings that are made possible from improved care coordination, such as reduced duplication of services and more timely intervention of care.

Under the patient-centered care model, NHCMG will coordinate care for patients, work to improve their overall health, and work to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions and emergency room visits by helping patients manage chronic disease and prevent illness.

"We view this as another positive step toward changing the way health care is delivered," said Joseph L. Quaranta, MD, President of New Haven Community Group. "The concept is to bring community-based physicians and Anthem together all with the same goal - to promote high quality, cost-effective care to those we serve. NHCMG also provides the opportunity for close collaboration between our primary care and specialty physicians to help improve patient care."

"We value the importance of primary care practitioners in the care delivery model. For that reason, we designed our program to empower and incentivize primary care providers to manage the overall health of their patients," said Peter Bowers, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. "We cannot have a sustainable health care system with traditional fee-for-service payment. This innovative model will advance payment reform in Connecticut, while helping improve the health of our members, and be a model for all providers and insurers in the state."

Both organizations noted that this effort is yet another element of a strong collaboration between the two entities. Anthem will be collaborating with other primary care groups in the coming months on this type of model.