One Blue insurer will find out just how much employer appetite there is for health plans with limited but transparent networks branded as both accountable and affordable.
Washington State's Regence BlueShield, one of the four Blues insurers in the Cambia Health Solutions family, is introducing ActiveCare, a new group health plan offering built on accountable care partnership with four providers that form network choices.
"ActiveCare is an innovative health plan providing value to Washington employers as they look to provide their employees with enhanced quality care at a lower cost," said Don Antonucci, president of Regence BlueShield. "We've already seen tremendous interest in ActiveCare, which is an example of the unique solutions Regence continues to bring to market to improve health care and address rising costs."
The health plan is currently available in greater Seattle, in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, with four different provider systems: "ActiveCare EvergreenHealth Partners/Virginia Mason," combining an integrated physician network with the hospital and specialist network of Virginia Mason; "ActiveCare MultiCare," with the five hospital Tacoma-based MultiCare Health System; "ActiveCare The Everett Clinic," featuring the physicians group network based north of Seattle; and "ActiveCare UW Medicine," with the University of Washington health system's network.
Members enrolled in the ActiveCare plans choose a primary care physician from the affiliated provider system, and those primary care doctors then are tasked with coordinating healthcare needs and overseeing referrals within the parent organization.
"Quality in medicine really can lower costs," said Rick Cooper, CEO of The Everett Clinic. "When you do a good job of preventive care and provide the best care for chronic conditions, patients have fewer visits to the ER, fewer medical visits, and as a result, lower costs."
While not featuring the broad provider choice of a PPO, Regence said the ActiveCare plans feature similar benefit coverage, including the first $400 of outpatient lab and radiology services covered at 100 percent, $4 copays on select generic and brand name drugs for certain conditions, and a suite of wellness tools, like 24/7 pregnancy support.
Regence is also making new forays in the individual market, under a separately-named health plan called BridgeSpan. In Washington, like neighboring Oregon a competitive market, 30 Bridgespan plans will be available in12 counties -- the most of any insurer and double the offerings of rival Blue Cross insurer Premera.
"This a long-term play in terms of improving quality, lowering costs and improving access," said Chris Blanton, who joined Cambia as president last year to head up the Bridgespan Health exchange plans.