Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) and Mount Sinai Health System (Mount Sinai) announced a new partnership aimed at delivering care through new models in order to reduce costs and improve value for consumers in New York City. This recent multi-year deal cements the two organizations’ long-standing partnerships.
- Care models: It includes three innovative care models, including Mount Sinai Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3), Mount Sinai Community Paramedicine, and Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors Program, all of which are available to Empire members (MSVD). In addition, the new agreement outlines a plan for Mount Sinai to improve bi-directional data integration with Empire, as part of Empire’s goal to connect 80 percent of its members to real-time Admissions, Discharge, and Transfer notifications, as well as better clinical information integration, by the end of 2022.
- Improvement: “We are on a mission to materially and measurably improve the health of all New Yorkers, and we know that during the last year people have become more open to receiving care through a variety of ways, including at home,” said Jordan Vidor, Regional Vice President, Provider Solutions, Empire BlueCross BlueShield.
- Provider: Empire is now a participant provider in Mount Sinai Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) and Mount Sinai Community Paramedicine as part of this partnership. These two care models give ambulance crews more flexibility in responding to Empire’s business members’ emergency healthcare requirements, allowing for treatment on the spot with or without telemedicine when necessary.
- Partnership: “We are excited to partner with Empire on a long-term contract that demonstrates an ongoing commitment to improving the quality and affordability of care for Empire members,” said Robert Fields, MD, MHA, Executive Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer at Mount Sinai Health System. “This new contract will support innovation in the delivery of care and move us closer to promoting value in a complex environment.”
- Specialised team: Empire is also a participating provider in the Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors Program (MSVD), an integrated care model for homebound patients in which each patient has a specialized team that works collaboratively to meet clinical and social requirements. MSVD provides primary and palliative care to fragile elderly and homebound individuals with chronic illnesses, and it is offered to Empire’s Medicare members who meet certain criteria.