As a result of a partnership between Capital Blue Cross and WellSpan Health of York, Pennsylvania, members in Central Pennsylvania now has expanded Medicare Advantage provider options. Capital Blue Cross customers will now have access to WellSpan’s 2,600 providers in the region, according to a Sept. 8 announcement. Low- and moderate-risk health care will be handled by Capital Blue Cross, while high-risk health care will be handled by WellSpan.
- New announcement: Capital BlueCross today announced that three health systems have joined the company’s groundbreaking QualityFirst Medical Neighborhoodâ„ initiative, a health care model that prioritizes the quality of care offered to patients, rather than the quantity of service. The three health systems are Sacred HeartExternal Site Disclaimer, Summit HealthExternal Site Disclaimer, and WellSpan HealthExternal Site Disclaimer.
- Quality care: Together with our hospital partners, Capital BlueCross is helping to make sure that the quality of patient care is at the center of the health care system,” said Dr. Jennifer Chambers, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Capital BlueCross. “Not quantity of medical procedures or quantity of office visits, but quality – meaning the best care, with the best outcomes, with the best possible patient satisfaction. By expanding the number of hospitals that are joining us in this endeavor, we are improving care for tens of thousands more people throughout our service area.”
- Improved goals: QualityFirst Medical Neighborhoodâ„ by Capital BlueCross was introduced in 2014 to Adams and York counties. A number of Capital BlueCross projects are aimed at improving health outcomes by moving away from the traditional fee-for-service paradigm and towards a performance-based one.
- Incentives: The Medical Neighborhood program incentivizes greater teamwork among health care providers to coordinate patient care; saves money for patients by reducing the administration of procedures that may not be medically necessary, and measures the outcome of care and patient satisfaction using industry-standard evaluation tools.
- Coordinated care: “WellSpan is passionate about coordinated care and transforming health through Patient-Centered Medical Homes and Neighborhood,” said Karen E. Jones, M.D., senior vice president, WellSpan Health, and president, WellSpan Medical Group. “Our primary care and specialty care physicians and care teams work together with Patient Partners to improve quality, communication, and care. It makes sense to align our work with other organizations that are committed to these same goals.”