St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, 102 years old and a founding member of the Value Care Alliance, said VCA has entered into a new accountable care agreement with insurer Aetna aimed at improving the coordination and delivery of patient care to Aetna members in Connecticut.
More than 40,000 Aetna commercial health plan members who primarily received care from participating VCA providers over the last two years, as well as those who seek care from VCA providers following the start of the agreement, are covered under the new agreement, according to a statement from St. Vincent”™s.
The agreement with Aetna includes a shared savings model that rewards VCA providers for meeting certain quality and efficiency benchmarks. These benchmarks have been proven to improve the health of members and reduce health care costs, the hospital said.
“While health plan benefits will not change, members can expect a more highly coordinated, personalized level of care,” the statement said.
“This new alliance with Aetna is a big step in the transformation to value-based health care in Connecticut and with our VCA partners,” said St. Vincent’s President/CEO Dr. Stuart Marcus in a statement. “We are leading the way and anticipate that other payers will follow this lead.”
Aetna members who receive care from VCA providers will also benefit from the improved flow of information to treating physicians, particularly those patients with chronic or complex conditions, the hospital said. Aetna nurse case managers will work with the patient”™s care organization to assist in care coordination, outreach and follow-up services.
To support Aetna members who are receiving care at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, care coordinators at St. Vincent’s Health Partners Inc., an accredited, “clinically integrated network,” will work with its member providers and focus on quality care for the St. Vincent”™s patients. Through data sharing and care coordination efforts, St. Vincent’s Health Partners will help reduce unnecessary medical care and improve health outcomes, leading to a decrease in utilization of acute care services, the hospital said.
