Press Releases

TORRANCE, Calif. (June 1, 2015) — HealthCare Partners, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners, is pleased to announce it has produced $1.8 million in savings as a result of its participation in the Enhanced Personal Care program (EPHC), a commercial Accountable Care Organization (ACO) formed by Anthem Blue Cross (Anthem).  These savings were achieved from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014, EPHC’s first performance year.

The EPHC program focuses on fully insured PPO members with two or more chronic conditions, which research shows can most effectively be helped by coordinated care. While these members can see physicians outside of the ACO, HealthCare Partners offers access to a personalized health team that includes a doctor and access to the HealthCare Partners ACO Unit.

“HealthCare Partners and Anthem have again proven that a commercial ACO can be effective if focused on meeting high quality and utilization outcomes, regardless of the reimbursement model,” said Dinesh Kumar, MD, chief medical officer, HealthCare Partners California. “This trusted model of care continues to promote an efficient and coordinated approach to our patients with complex care needs, further encouraging medical and financial transparency.”

The HealthCare Partners ACO Unit’s dedicated staff of care managers and care coordinators conduct health risk assessments, identify hospitalized ACO patients, coordinate transitions of care, and ensure patient care and healthcare resources are accessible. In addition, HealthCare Partners extends medical management programs to EPHC program patients, such as disease management, specialized high risk programs, home care, and palliative care programs.

The $1.8 million savings were driven by meeting 100% of the quality measures, which included preventive screenings for breast cancer, and enhanced management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease as measured by the nationally recognized Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS). Additionally, HealthCare Partners improved utilization metrics by reducing hospital admissions and average length of inpatient stays, plus it increased generic prescription rates.

Some of the notable quality scores achieved by HealthCare Partners in the EPHC program, as measured against the HEDIS benchmarks are listed below:

*Based on Anthem average of 42,000 members for the performance period.

According to a report from the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, there are approximately 700 ACOs in the United States. California leads the nation with 67 ACOs, a number that has more than doubled since August 2012. HealthCare Partners is the largest commercial ACO in California.

About HealthCare Partners
HealthCare Partners, LLC, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners, manages and operates HealthCare Partners Medical Group along with organizations in Nevada, Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. HealthCare Partners Medical Group has been named a top-performer by the Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA), and has been recognized by health plans and business groups for medical leadership, the high quality of medical care delivered, operational effectiveness, and high rates of patient satisfaction. The organization includes more than 1,800 employed and affiliated primary care physicians and more than 4,500 employed and contracted specialists. In California, HealthCare Partners cares for patients in Los Angeles, Long Beach, South Bay, Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, and Orange County. In addition to primary care doctors' offices, HealthCare Partners provides medical services through urgent care centers, and offers a wide variety of support programs such as 24-hour telephone support, electronic medical records, free or low-cost health education classes, and special programs for chronic conditions. For more information, please visit www.healthcarepartners.com

Contact Information
Media:
Diane Suzuki
562-293-1244
DSuzuki@healthcarepartners.com