Clinical integration and accountable care developments in greater Philadelphia are taking a novel turn, with one large insurer teaming up with a new multi-health system collaboration.
The Noble Health Alliance, an integrated provider network comprised of Abington Health, Aria Health System, Crozer-Keystone Health System and Einstein Healthcare Network, is bringing on Independence Blue Cross for key projects: as the sole administrator for the providers' self-insured health plan and as the preferred insurer for an accountable care organization.
The health plan for the four health systems in Noble Health, which spans 15 hospitals and some 4,600 physicians and clinicians, covers about 39,000 employees and dependents.
Leaders from the organizations see that as a way to help test and improve coordinated care for employees or their dependents with chronic conditions -- and possibly use those lessons learned for clinical models for commercially-insured patients and Medicare beneficiaries.
"With Independence Blue Cross, we are collaborating with the region's preferred health insurer, an organization that shares our goal of improving both the quality and efficiency of healthcare," said Patrick Young, chairman and CEO of Noble Health Alliance and a former Aetna executive.
Independence Blue Cross' work on Noble's self-funded plan will primarily be in administrative services, the two organizations also say they will collaborate on a range of issues to develop an accountable care model to serve the health system's employees and dependents.
"An effective ACO needs a strong insurance collaborator," said Susan L. Williams, MD, chief medical officer for Noble, in media release. "Independence Blue Cross has excellent data capabilities which will be a powerful tool in helping our physicians provide better, more efficient and quality driven care."
"We're pleased to expand our collaboration with Noble in this broad, new way to help improve the health and well-being of the Noble health systems' employees and the patients they serve," said Independence president and CEO Daniel Hilferty.
"In addition, we look forward to working with Noble leaders to create a dynamic and successful ACO strategy by sharing what we've learned and successes from our ACO payment model, which is beginning to show meaningful results in improving the quality and efficiency of care among many health systems and hospitals in our region."
The deal with Noble is one of a number of ventures that Independence has going.
The Philadelphia region's largest insurer recently unveiled the inaugural primary care network it will be offering members as part of the Tandigm Health company jointly owned with DaVita HealthCare Partners, in which the two organizations are drawing on the precepts of the patient-centered medical home and managed care to reduce avoidable acute care and duplication.
And earlier this summer IBC touted results among hospitals in its accountable care network, with participation now including 90 percent of the region's delivery system, and half of all the hospitals reducing costs for IBC members in the first full year of the program.