Independence Blue Cross and Aria Health announce new agreements to continue to serve patients in Philadelphia, Bucks, and Montgomery Counties
Philadelphia, PA — February 28, 2012 —Independence Blue Cross (IBC) and Aria Health have signed new multi-year contracts that include IBC’s innovative pay-for-performance program for hospitals, to improve health outcomes and lower costs. Aria Health is the sixth hospital system to commit to this program.
“These agreements signal a new era of collaboration between IBC and our region’s health systems using incentives that motivate doctors and hospitals to work together to make decisions that put patients’ needs first and keep costs down,” said Daniel J. Hilferty, IBC president and CEO. “We’re pleased that Aria Health and its physicians are on board with our progressive reimbursement plan to reward quality results and exceptional patient care. We look forward to working closely with them over the coming years.”
The agreements with Aria Health provide IBC members continued access to Aria’s Frankford, Torresdale, and Bucks County hospital campuses; outpatient sites; the health system’s more than 900 physicians; and its home health services division. The contracts went into effect December 1, 2011.
“Our 485-bed community health system is proud to partner with IBC, a trusted name in the five-county region and beyond," said Kathleen Kinslow, CRNA, EdD, MBA, Aria Health president and CEO. "Participation in IBC's strategic hospital/physician incentive program is a natural fit for us. For more than 100 years, our goal has been to help our patients get healthy and stay healthy, and we achieve that goal by emphasizing the patient experience and valuing error prevention, identification, and reduction in every service that we provide.”
The hospital/physician incentive program, launched in November 2010, is designed to promote collaboration between hospitals and physicians, lower costs, and improve quality of care. The result is an integrated effort to enhance communication, streamline coordination of care, and develop strong patient relationships — with the potential for financial rewards for demonstrated, measured success.
“IBC’s incentive plan is based on accountability and a commitment to providing superior care to patients and members in our community,” said Doug Chaet, IBC senior vice president of Contracting and Provider Networks. “This enhanced model of health care combines unparalleled service, quality, and safety.”
About Aria Health
Aria Health is the largest healthcare provider in Northeast Philadelphia and Lower Bucks County. With three leading-edge community hospitals and a strong network of outpatient centers and primary care physicians, Aria upholds a longstanding tradition of bringing advanced medicine and personal care to the many communities it serves. Visit us at ARIAHEALTH.org. Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/ariahealth or follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/ariahealth.
About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania. Nationwide, Independence Blue Cross and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.1 million people. For 74 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals. Independence Blue Cross's HMO and PPO health care plans have consistently received the highest ratings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit us at ibx.com. Fan us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter@ibx.
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Contact:
Karen Godlewski
Independence Blue Cross
Karen.Godlewski@ibx.com
215-241-3113
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