Coordinated Care Projects Continuing to Blossom Nationwide

The U.S. healthcare system is continuing to take the leap into value-based care wholesale, with large medical groups, big payers and even entire states recently entering into initiatives.

Such efforts mean more sharing of medical records and laboratory tests among more providers, placing greater pressure on the sector to provide more accurate results. In Illinois, Chicago’s largest independent practice, DuPage Medical Group, is teaming with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois to create BCBSIL Practice Advance, which is expected to provide more coordinated care in order to improve quality and cut costs. Officials also noted that the collaborative will make it easier for independent doctors to switch over to a value-based model of care.

“Through this landmark partnership, we’ll make it possible for independent physicians to participate in value based care in a meaningful way,” said Opella Ernest, M.D., Blue Cross Blue Shield’s chief medical officer, in a statement.

Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, the entire state is teaming with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide more coordinated care to the state’s dual-eligible population, those Medicare enrollees who also are eligible for Medicaid. Such a population typically requires far more care than enrollees in either just the Medicare or Medicaid program. The initiative is an extension of the state’s Rhody Health Options, its capitated Medicaid managed care program. The demonstration project is expected to enroll as many as 30,000 lives, officials said.

In Ohio, five of the Buckeye State’s largest independent physician practices—Community Health Care, Northern Ohio Medical Specialists, Pioneer Physicians Network, Premier Physicians and Unity Health Network—have joined forces to create the Ohio Independent Collaborative (OIC). The OIC will offer enrollees more coordinated care at a lower cost and higher quality. It will serve more than 450,000 patients throughout much of the state.

“The (OIC) creates a high-quality new care option in the marketplace for patients, insurance providers and hospitals, allowing our members to develop strategic partnerships that, on their own, they would not be able to develop,” said Tony Paras, M.D., of Premier Physicians, in a statement.

Takeaway: A variety of coordinated care projects are continuing to be launched across the United States.