Insurance giant Humana is teaming with Bethesda, Maryland-based primary care consulting company Aledade to expand access to value-based care for its Medicare Advantage members in three states.
Physicians working in Aledade’s accountable care organizations in Pennsylvania, Louisiana and West Virginia will be able to take advantage of technological tools, data and other resources from both Aledade and Humana under the agreement, according to an announcement.
Louisville, Kentucky-based Humana has made value-based care a central focus over the past year and in April launched its Hospital Incentive Program with the goal of reducing duplicative services and readmissions. Cleveland Clinic Florida and Georgia’s WellStar Health System were among the first providers to jump into the program.
RELATED: Humana study—Physicians warm to value-based pay models, but skepticism runs deep
“This agreement reflects a strong, mutual belief by Aledade and Humana that value-based care is key to enhancing both the patient experience and patient outcomes,” said Oraida Roman, vice president of Humana’s value-based services organization.
Humana’s most recent report on value-based care, released in November, showed that the payer had 62 bundled payment contracts with providers last year, a significant spike from 12 in 2016. In addition in 2018, two-thirds of its 2.9 million Medicare Advantage members see a PCP that is in a value-based payment arrangement.
Humana also unveiled a bundled payment plan for maternity care last spring.
RELATED: Humana adds 7 new states to its bundled payment portfolio
All of Humana’s value-based care arrangements center on allowing physicians additional time to treat patients, increasing access to preventive care and improving chronic care management, it said in the announcement.
Farzad Mostashari, M.D., founder of Aledade and one-time National Coordinator for Health IT, said in the announcement that the partnership allows the company, which assists physicians in building and operating ACOs, to expand its activities to drive better-coordinated population health management.
“Humana shares our dedication to improving patient health and lowering healthcare costs by empowering independent physicians to thrive in value-based care arrangements,” Mostashari said.