The Boeing Co. is the first employer to sign on with Providence-Swedish Health Alliance, one of the first accountable care organizations (ACO) in the country to work directly with employers on high-quality, affordable health care benefits for employees.
The ACO is a partnership of Providence Health & Services and Swedish Health Services, which announced the ACO recently.
The launch of an employer-driven ACO marks a significant shift in how health care will be delivered to employees and has national implications for the future of health care, according to a news release.
For the first time, providers are able to work directly with employers to understand their needs and develop a product that caters to their employees.
Providence and Swedish affiliated in 2012 to create healthier communities across Western Washington. Since that time, the two organizations have worked to build an ACO to better serve a variety of populations. ACOs work by incentivizing doctors, hospitals and other health care partners to closely coordinate care for patients, resulting in improved outcomes and lower costs, according to the news release.
Boeing has selected the Providence-Swedish Health Alliance for its new Preferred Partnership option, which is available in the Puget Sound area for nonunion employees as well as some union-represented employees and retirees. Eligible employees can stay in their current plan or they can select the new option, which allows them to choose one of two networks for their care: either the Providence-Swedish Health Alliance or the UW Medicine Accountable Care Network. Employees will make the selection during annual enrollment for benefits this November for coverage starting Jan. 1, 2015.
This new service delivery option is designed to improve quality, provide a better experience for Boeing employees and their families, and be more affordable, according to the release.
“The Puget Sound region has the advantage of having some of the best, most progressive providers and medical centers in the country,” said Alan May, vice president of Human Resources for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “For this initiative, we chose Providence-Swedish and UW Medicine for several key reasons – they are well respected, have a broad geographic reach, provide the full continuum of care and have demonstrated a commitment to transform how health care is delivered. Boeing will continue to engage with other providers in the community in an effort to transform the delivery system with a goal of providing access to high quality care.”
The Providence-Swedish Health Alliance will offer Boeing employees a number of benefits, including:
• Same-day or next-day appointments for urgent primary care visits and acute care.
• A concierge service that patients can reach by phone, email or Web.
• Online and mobile access for scheduling primary care appointments, reviewing test results and emailing the care team.
• Proactive support for preventive care and chronic disease management.
• Shared decision-making tools to help patients choose the right treatment options for their lifestyle goals.
Date: June 25, 2014