Aetna expands ACO agreements in New York

Weill Cornell Physicians, Cornell University’s physician group, has inked a new accountable care agreement with Aetna, intended to enhance care for approximately 9,000 of the insurer's commercial and Medicare members in New York.

“This collaboration will add to the effort of aligning our Weill Cornell faculty with the Triple Aim of improving quality, lowering costs and performing population-health management,” said Michael Wolk, MD, chair of the Weill Cornell Physicians’ Managed Care Committee, in a press release.

The accountable care arrangements involve the Weill Cornell Physicians’ 1,237 doctors, healthcare professionals and care managers who work with Aetna to coordinate healthcare services.

“Aetna and Weill Cornell are stepping forward to collaborate and share in the accountability of positive patient outcomes,” said David Kobus, Aetna senior vice president, New York Network, in a statement.

Under the new agreement for commercial members, Aetna will recognize the Weill Cornell Physicians Organization for achieving quality and efficiency benchmarks. It also will help Weill Cornell expand its care-management program and add health information technology. Under the Medicare arrangement, CMS quality and efficiency measures will be used to track Weill Cornell Physicians’ performance and improve utilization of medical services and communication among medical professionals.