Kenosha County-based United Hospital System and Humana Inc. have announced a new three-year accountable care agreement and partnership beginning on Thursday that will increase access for Humana Medicare Advantage members.
The relationship is also intended to enhance health care coordination, improve quality of care and drive down costs for southeastern Wisconsin members.
A fast-growing model for health care service delivery and health care provider payment, accountable care creates health in addition to treating sickness, utilizes the primary care physician to coordinate care for the patient, offers treatment options based on proven standards of care, and better controls costs through integrated care and reimbursement based on adherence to standards of care.
“Over the past several years, more and more retirees living in the communities that United Hospital System serves have selected Medicare Advantage plans,” said Ric Schmidt, president, chief executive officer and general counsel of United Hospital System. “The partnership between United Hospital System and Humana will allow our outstanding team of physicians and professional healthcare workers to provide excellent patient care to the growing number of retirees who select Humana Medicare Advantage plans. This partnership is clearly in the best interest of all parties, most notably our patients.”
The United Hospital System and Humana agreement emphasizes quality outcomes with a focus on care coordination and leverages measures as defined by the National Committee for Quality Assurance Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set like diabetes care and treatment, breast cancer screenings, colorectal cancer screenings and high-risk medication. The partnership will also offer more personalized care and a broad range of population management tools like predictive analytics, chronic disease management and wellness programs.
“The Accountable Care model is changing the way we and our physician partners manage patient care and promote wellbeing,” said Bruno Piquin, senior markets vice president for Humana’s northern division. “We are continuing to establish these value-based partnerships nationwide because we know they work, and we’re already witnessing their impact on how health care is delivered.”
Humana has a 26-year accountable care relationship history with more than 1.2 million Medicare Advantage members that are cared for by 38,000 primary care physicians, in more than 900 accountable care relationships across 43 states and Puerto Rico.
United Hospital System offers a wide array of services primarily through the Kenosha Medical Center Campus and the St. Catherine’s Medical Center Campus in Pleasant Prairie. It also has physician clinics located at those two sites as well as other off-site physician clinics located in the city of Kenosha, village of Paddock Lake and Gurnee, Ill. United Hospital System’s facilities and physicians treat approximately 65 percent of the total patients who receive care within Kenosha County.
