Cigna (NYSE: CI) and Harbin
Clinic, the largest privately owned multispecialty medical clinic in
Georgia, have launched a collaborative
care initiative to improve patient access to health care,
enhance care coordination, and achieve the goal of improved
health, affordability and patient experience. The
program became effective July 1 and is Cigna's first collaborative care
arrangement serving Rome. Cigna currently has three collaborative care
initiatives throughout Georgia and 100 of them nationwide.
Cigna Collaborative Care is the company’s approach to
accomplishing the same population health goals as accountable care
organizations, or ACOs. The program will benefit 5,300
individuals covered by a Cigna health plan who receive care from more
than 220 health care professionals with Harbin Clinic.
In places where it’s been introduced, Cigna
Collaborative Care is helping to improve the health of Cigna customers
while holding the line on medical costs. The programs are helping to
close gaps in care, such as missed health screenings or prescription
refills, reducing unnecessary use of hospital emergency rooms,
increasing the number of preventive health visits and improving
follow-up care for people transitioning from the hospital to home.
“This collaboration with Cigna is another step in our commitment to
providing excellent and innovative care for our patients,” said Alfonso
Diaz, M.D., medical director at Harbin Clinic. “Through improved care
coordination and an emphasis on preventive care, we hope to maintain the
high quality health outcomes Harbin is known for while providing
quality, affordable care for present and future patients.”
“We’re thrilled to expand the collaborative care program in Georgia and
look forward to working with Harbin Clinic to implement a health care
model that rewards physicians for quality of care, rather than volume of
services,” said Robert Hamilton, M.D., Cigna's regional medical
executive for Georgia. “This new model will ultimately lead to a
healthier population and lower medical costs, which is good for
individuals, families, employers and doctors.”
Under the program, Harbin Clinic will monitor and coordinate all aspects
of an individual’s medical care. Patients will continue to go to their
current physician and automatically receive the benefits of the program.
Individuals who are enrolled in a Cigna health plan and later choose to
seek care from a doctor with Harbin Clinic will also have access to the
benefits of the program. There are no changes in any plan requirements
regarding referrals to specialists. Patients most likely to see the
immediate benefits of the program are those who need help managing
chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
Critical to the program’s benefits are the registered nurse clinical
care coordinators, employed by Harbin Clinic, who will help patients
with chronic conditions or other health challenges navigate the health
care system. The care coordinators are aligned with a team of Cigna case
managers to ensure a high degree of collaboration between the clinic and
Cigna, which will ultimately provide a better experience for the
individual.
The care coordinators will enhance care by using patient-specific data
from Cigna to help identify patients being discharged from the hospital
who might be at risk for readmission, as well as patients who may be
overdue for important health screenings or who may have skipped a
prescription refill. The care coordinators are part of the physician-led
care team that will help patients get the follow-up care or screenings
they need, identify potential complications related to medications and
help prevent chronic conditions from worsening.
Care coordinators can also help patients schedule appointments, provide
health education and refer patients to Cigna's clinical support programs
that may be available as part of their health plan, such as disease
management programs for diabetes, heart disease and other conditions;
and lifestyle management programs for quitting smoking or managing
weight.
Cigna will compensate Harbin Clinic for the medical and care
coordination services doctors provide. Additionally, the clinic may be
rewarded through a “pay for value” structure for meeting targets for
improving quality and lowering medical costs.
Cigna has been at the forefront of the accountable care organization
movement since 2008 and now has 100 Cigna
Collaborative Care arrangements with large physician groups that
span 27 states, reach more than one million commercial customers and
encompass more than 39,000 doctors, including more than 19,000 primary
care physicians and more than 20,000 specialists.
Cigna Collaborative Care is one component of the company's approach to
physician engagement for health improvement, which also includes the
innovative Cigna-HealthSpring® care model for Medicare customers. Today,
more than 1.3 million Cigna and Cigna-HealthSpring customers benefit
from 265 engaged physician relationships across 31 states, with more
than 66,000 doctors participating, including more than 25,000 primary
care physicians and more than 41,000 specialists.
About Harbin Clinic
Harbin Clinic is Georgia’s largest physician-owned, multi-specialty
clinic with more than 220 providers in 17 locations throughout Northwest
Georgia across more than 30 specialties. Since 1870 the Harbin family
has practiced medicine in the region, founding the Harbin Hospital in
1908 in Rome, Georgia. That hospital grew into the present Harbin Clinic
which cares for thousands of patients each day. Harbin Clinic Cares
Completely. More info at www.harbinclinic.com.
About Cigna
Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company
dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense
of security. All products and services are provided exclusively by or
through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including
Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life
Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna
Life Insurance Company of New York. Such products and services include
an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental,
behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other
related products including group life, accident and disability
insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in 30 countries and
jurisdictions, and has more than 80 million customer relationships
throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to
follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.
Copyright Business Wire 2014