Blue Cross adds value-based care partners

Blue Cross of Idaho has announced new value-based care arrangements with seven Idaho provider groups as of January 1. The Meridian-based company now partners with providers on 25 shared savings arrangements in group, individual, and Medicare markets.

New partners are Catalyst Medical Group, Community Health Center Network of Idaho, Independent Doctors of Idaho, Portneuf Quality Alliance, Primary Health Medical Group, Saint Alphonsus Health System, and Saltzer Medical Group.

Value-based care means that, instead of being reimbursed by how many services are provided, providers are reimbursed by outcomes, a method intended to reduce health care costs for businesses. This is a trend that’s been going on for a while but is increasing among providers and insurers. While it’s too soon to tell what effect it will have on patient costs overall, St. Luke’s Health Partners, partnering with SelectHealth, has also been working on value-based care, said Dave Self, chief administrative officer, and he said that has helped that company keep health care costs essentially flat for its own employees.

“We deliver to them the data that will help them better manage the care,” said Drew Hobby, vice president of provider network management. “They get to know what’s going on with patients,” because the providers don’t always have the visibility that a patient has gone to another provider, he said. “It gives them opportunities to have more data.”

Blue Cross was particularly interested in Primary Health because it was one of the first groups in Idaho to not only implement electronic health records, but to look at internal clinical data to improve performance and give patients better care, said David Peterman, CEO of Primary Health Medical Group, based in

Boise.

Saint Alphonsus Health System offers a similar value-based care program called Saint Alphonsus Health Alliance.