RICHMOND, Va--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As part of its commitment to quality and affordable health care, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced it has value-based agreements that promote patient-centered care with primary care physicians accounting for nearly 40 percent of the primary care services across Virginia.
Anthem launched Enhanced Personal Health Care in Virginia on Oct. 1, 2012 and since then has contracted under this new type of arrangement with more than 1,500 physicians from 23 primary care practices, providing primary care services to more than 420,000 Anthem members.
“We are really pleased to partner with the physician community on programs like this, and reward them for advancing the quality and affordability of health care in Virginia,” said C. Burke King, president, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “Our focus on primary care is critical as the health care environment continues to change. Utilizing the physician-patient relationship as a conduit to promote health and wellness will benefit our members and continue to help improve the health status of all Virginians.”
Enhanced Personal Health Care promotes patient-centered care and compensates providers for the work required to deliver this type of coordinated, personalized care. The aim of this new arrangement is to bring high-quality care to patients, and to control costs by promoting preventive care, care coordination and chronic disease management.
Anthem is making a major investment in primary care by not only increasing revenue opportunities for participating providers, but also by offering the support of a dedicated team of experts in patient-centered care who are devoted to helping physicians succeed in adopting a patient-centered care model.
Anthem’s Enhanced Personal Health Care team is equipped with a full suite of tools to share with providers, so that everyone can have access to helpful information and resources related to patient-centered care.
“The enhanced primary care program from Anthem provides our practicing physicians and providers additional tools to help our patients achieve optimum health,” said Jennifer Sharp-Warthan, M.D., Tidewater Physicians Multispecialty Group.
Patients who see participating providers may see a range of benefits -- whether they are healthy or dealing with chronic diseases or acute illnesses. These benefits include more convenient access to care, and care that takes into account the whole person and is personalized based on their health history and preferences.
To participate in the shared savings aspect of the program, physician practices must meet quality performance goals, which include certain quality standards. Those primary care physicians who maintain or improve quality may earn up to 35 percent more than they earn today through the shared-savings model.
Over time, primary care practices will transform themselves in order to better manage the health of their patient populations. As a result, Anthem estimates the program will substantially improve overall medical costs, and improve health care quality and member health.
About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia
Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. trades as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, and its service area is all of Virginia except for the City of Fairfax, the Town of Vienna, and the area east of State Route 123. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and its affiliated HMO HealthKeepers, Inc. are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/healthjoinin, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HealthJoinIn, or visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/healthjoinin.