Cigna, Fletcher Allen Health Care and Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) have launched a collaborative accountable care program to expand patient access to health care, improve care coordination, and achieve the "triple aim" of improved health outcomes (quality), lower total medical costs and increase patient satisfaction.
Fletcher Allen and CVMC health care professionals monitor and coordinate an individual's medical care in a more comprehensive way with support from Cigna tools and information resources.
Critical to the program's benefits are registered nurse clinical care coordinators who help patients with chronic conditions or other health challenges navigate the health care system. The care coordinators enhance care by using patient-specific data from both organizations and from Cigna to 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 work collaboratively with the Primary Care Medical Home and Community Health Teams regionally to help patients get the follow-up care or screenings they need, identify any issues related to medications and help prevent chronic conditions from worsening.
Cigna will compensate physicians at Fletcher Allen and CVMC for the medical and care coordination services they provide. Additionally, the practice may receive performance-based payments if it meets targets for improving quality and lowering medical costs.
