A new partnership with Cigna is a step toward aligning payment with practice for Greater Baltimore Medical Center’s accountable care organization.
Accountable care organizations are groups of doctors and other medical professionals who aim to improve quality while reducing cost. The organizations are intended to work on a payment system that pays for quality measures, rather than per service. Greater Baltimore Health Alliance’s accountable care program with Cigna (NYSE: CI) would be a step toward that payment model. The health alliance is a part of GBMC Health Inc.
“It’s important for our group because we’re trying to begin to put together an organization that cares for patients in a reliable, high quality way at low cost,” said Colin Ward, executive director of Greater Baltimore Health Alliance.
We want to work with insurance companies that recognize that.”
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Greater Baltimore Health Alliance is a network of more than 100 employed and affiliated physicians and was recognized as an accountable care organization by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in July. About 3,000 Cigna members see doctors who are part of GBHA.
Under the program, Cigna will pay GBHA for medical services as well as care coordination services, which are the extra support services that ensure patients are getting the most out of their medical treatment. For example, a care coordinator can help patients get follow-up screenings, identify patients who may be at risk of readmission after their hospital visit, and notify doctors when patients fail to refill needed prescriptions. Care coordination services are a key part of the accountable care organization model but often are not covered by patients’ insurance.