Anthem ACOs Save $7.9M with Population Health Management

Six medical groups participating in Anthem Blue Cross’ Accountable Care Organization (ACO) program were able to save $7.9 million in just one year by focusing on improving population health management for patients suffering multiple chronic diseases, according to an Anthem press release. 

The Enhanced Personal Care Program helps primary care providers leverage clinical analytics and big data as they offer team-based, personalized care and robust chronic disease management for patients at risk of suffering from highly fragmented services or insufficient support.

By using member-level data to identify at-risk patients and deliver targeted interventions, the six successful ACOs were able to reduce inpatient admissions by 7.3 percent per 1000 patients, reduce outpatient visits by 2.2 percent, and increase the rate of generic drug prescriptions by 4.2 percent per thousand. 

“Gone are the days when PPO members with multiple chronic conditions rarely receive team-based coordinated care.  These results are further evidence that providing such care in the framework of an Anthem ACO does lower costs,” said Brian Ternan, president of Anthem Blue Cross.

“We’ve done a lot of work to provide better care for these patients,” added Thomas Balsbaugh, medical director for the Patient-Centered Medical Home program at UC Davis Health System, one of the six high-achieving ACOs.