Empire BlueCross BlueShield Announces Ground-Breaking Contract Agreement with NYU Langone Medical Center Based on Payment for Value

NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Empire BlueCross BlueShield, New York's largest health insurer, today announced a new three-year agreement with NYU Langone Medical Center, a world-class, patient-centered, integrated, academic medical center, that will serve as a national model for pay-for-performance. Since 2007, NYU Langone has been in the forefront in entering pay for performance arrangements with the different payors. Part of the arrangement with Empire, NYU Langone agreed to link significant portions of its payments for in-network contracted services to health outcomes, patient-safety measures and patient satisfaction benchmarks.  

Under the new agreement, Empire will reimburse NYU Langone for its performance based upon meeting nationally recognized measures of patient safety and quality of care, as well as additional mutually agreed upon measures for efficient delivery of medical services. NYU Langone's participation in Empire's award winning Quality-Insights Hospital Incentive Program (QHIP) demonstrates its unique commitment and investment to improve quality and patient outcomes.

"This contract represents a new standard of collaboration between payors and hospitals better aligning payment with value by placing greater emphasis on health outcomes," said Mark Wagar, President and CEO of Empire BlueCross BlueShield. "Kudos to NYU Langone for raising the bar for hospitals -- not only in New York, but nationally. NYU Langone has differentiated itself from its competitors by its highly principled focus on quality, and making it an integral component of how they do business. They have challenged themselves to earn significant portions of its payments through a constant focus on attainment of quality metrics, which will result in better patient outcomes."

Another key feature of the contract is the significant expansion of the number of participating physicians in the various Empire networks to include the Chairs of key departments and other senior faculty, bringing access of world class doctors to Empire Members in specialties such as orthopedics, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery and emergency medicine.  

"As a patient-centered academic medical center, we are dedicated to providing the highest level of patient care and are delighted to collaborate with Empire in their efforts to improve the overall quality of the healthcare system," said Robert I. Grossman, MD, dean and CEO of NYU Langone Medical Center.  "Patient safety and quality is at the center of everything we do and this arrangement furthers our commitment to providing effective and efficient services. We are proud to be part of this important initiative."

About Empire BlueCross BlueShield

Serving New Yorkers for over 75 years, Empire BlueCross BlueShield is the largest health insurer in New York supporting nearly six million members and more than 38,000 business, union and small employers in New York. Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Inc., and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc., independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, serving residents and businesses in the 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York State. Additional information about Empire is available at www.empireblue.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/healthjoinin, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HealthJoinInEmpire, or visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/healthjoinin.

About NYU Langone Medical Center

NYU Langone Medical Center, a world-class, patient-centered, integrated, academic medical center, is one on the nation's premier centers for excellence in clinical care, biomedical research and medical education. Located in the heart of Manhattan, NYU Langone is composed of three hospitals – Tisch Hospital, its flagship acute care facility; the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the world's first university-affiliated facility devoted entirely to rehabilitation medicine; and the Hospital for Joint Diseases, one of only five hospitals in the nation dedicated to orthopaedics and rheumatology – plus the NYU School of Medicine, which since 1841 has trained thousands of physicians and scientists who have helped to shape the course of medical history. The medical center's tri-fold mission to serve, teach and discover is achieved 365 days a year through the seamless integration of a culture devoted to excellence in patient care, education and research. For more information, go to www.NYULMC.org.

SOURCE Empire BlueCross BlueShield