New offering improves patient experience; reduces health care costs for employers
DES MOINES, Iowa — Aetna and UnityPoint Accountable Care, L.C. today announced an accountable care collaboration in Iowa and in central and southern Illinois that will offer employers a health care model designed to improve quality of care, reduce health care costs, and improve the patient experience. The health care savings will be specific to each employer, with the potential to save up to 15 percent over comparable broad network Aetna products.
The new commercial health care product, Aetna Whole Health℠— UnityPoint Accountable Care network, will provide Aetna members with highly coordinated care from approximately 3,400 doctors, along with 31 hospitals and 32 urgent care centers.
The new commercial product is currently available to fully insured and self-insured large employers in Fulton, Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Henry and Rock Island counties in central and southern Illinois, and in Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar, Dallas, Delaware, Fayette, Grundy, Jones, Linn, Marshall, Muscatine, Polk, Scott, Warren, and Story counties in Iowa. The commercial product will be available to Aetna Funding Advantage customers on July 1.
“Working together, Aetna and UnityPoint Accountable Care will deliver high quality, comprehensive health care to our customers and their employees in Iowa and central and southern Illinois,” said Frank D’Antonio, market president for Aetna’s North Central territory. “This agreement with UnityPoint Accountable Care is just the latest example of Aetna’s commitment to working with medical providers across the country to improve the quality of care and health outcomes for our members.”
The accountable care collaboration gives employers innovative health care options for their employees, and will feature a new model of health care delivery designed to offer:
- Cost savings to employees who use providers in the UnityPoint Accountable Care product network;
- A more coordinated, personalized experience for patients; and
- Improved health care results.
“Our recent efforts in network development, use of innovative models to further coordinate care, and effective use of technology all contribute to the strength of this product” said Aric Sharp, vice president, UnityPoint Accountable Care. “We will continue to identify new opportunities for care improvement and cost savings.”
New payment agreements reward improvements in quality and costs of care
The collaboration features a new payment model to reward providers for meeting quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction measures including:
- The percentage of Aetna members who get recommended preventive care and screenings;
- Better management of patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart failure;
- Reductions in avoidable hospital readmission rates; and
- Reductions in emergency room visits.
Aetna is working with health care organizations nationwide to develop products and services that support value-driven, patient-centered care for health care consumers.
About UnityPoint Accountable Care
UnityPoint Accountable Care (UAC) is one of the largest ACOs in the nation, with a growing network including 47 hospitals and more than 7,750 Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri physicians and providers and more than 85 skilled nursing facilities. In 2017, UAC provider networks provided care for more than 200,000 lives. UAC is one of the largest participants in the Next Generation ACO Model and is a leader in industry transformation.
UnityPoint Accountable Care is part of UnityPoint Health®, one of the nation’s most integrated health systems. Through relationships with more than 290 physician clinics, 38 hospitals in metropolitan and rural communities and home care services, UnityPoint Health provides care throughout Iowa, western Illinois and southern Wisconsin.
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving an estimated 37.9 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services, workers’ compensation administrative services and health information technology products and services. Aetna’s customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.
Media Contact:
Anjie Coplin
214-200-8056
coplina@aetna.com