Neighborhood, 4 CHCs launch new programs to improve outcomes, cut costs

NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH PLAN of Rhode Island is forming partnerships with three community health centers that provide services to more than 50,000 people to use an accountable care model to improve health outcomes while saving money.
NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH PLAN of Rhode Island is forming partnerships with three community health centers that provide services to more than 50,000 people to use an accountable care model to improve health outcomes while saving money.

(Updated, 5:19 p.m.)
PROVIDENCE – As part of Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s push to trim costs in the state’s Medicaid program, Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island has formed a partnership with four community health centers to create three accountable care organizations.
Called accountable entities, the three projects are expected to deliver health care services to more than 50,000 Rhode Islanders enrolled in Neighborhood’s Medicaid managed care programs.
The AEs will be based out of the Providence Community Health Centers, Blackstone Valley Community Health Care and the East Bay Community Health Center in partnership with Thundermist Health Center (East Bay and Thundermist joined together in order to meet a minimum number of Neighborhood members).

“From the start, the focus of our Medicaid reforms has been on improving quality of care and expanding access. These accountable entities will reward better coordination and foster healthier communities,” said Raimondo in a statement.

The Reinventing Medicaid Act of 2015 was said to have delivered $70 million in savings for the state, driven in large measure by paying for better health outcomes as opposed to the number of medical procedures done to a patient. At the same time, the program pays incentives to providers who deliver more efficient health care services via enhanced management. The goal of the AEs is to improve health outcomes for Neighborhood members and deliver savings for state taxpayers.

Neighborhood’s President and CEO Peter Marino said, “Since we were founded nearly a quarter of a century ago, Neighborhood has been an eager and nimble driver of health care system reform. Creating these accountable entities builds on that effort and we are proud to partner with the state to improve our citizens’ health outcomes while helping control the costs to taxpayers.”

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Dennis Roy, president and CEO of East Bay Community Action Program said, “This is an important step as our state moves progress toward payment arrangements that align incentives for providers with key goals for the state. … Accountable entities are going to be an increasingly important piece of Rhode Island’s health care innovation blueprint, and we are excited to be among the first to join in that partnership, especially since it means our patients will be healthier because of it.”

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