Healthy Alliance Independent Practice Association, Innovative Health Alliance of New York, and Fidelis Care Join Forces to Improve Health by Addressing Social Determinants of Health

Three-pronged partnership reflects larger movement to improve population health

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Sep 23, 2019, 08:02 ET

ALBANY, N.Y., Sept. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthy Alliance Independent Practice Association (IPA), Innovative Health Alliance of New York, LLC (IHANY), and Fidelis Care are partnering to provide critical funding and careful coordination of services to Medicaid members insured by Fidelis Care.

To improve the overall health of vulnerable individuals in Upstate New York, the new partnership will bring together medical providers and community based organizations (CBOs) to address safe housing, adequate nutrition, employment, and other social determinants of health that impact an individual's health, quality of life, and wellbeing. This initiative will start on October 1^st.

Healthy Alliance IPA and IHANY will provide services to Fidelis Care members, focusing on members with at least one chronic health condition who have not had a primary care visit with their provider in more than six months. This initiative aims at improving health by successfully linking the underserved to primary care, reducing avoidable hospital use and increasing preventive care visits to keep people healthy.

IHANY will connect Fidelis members to the Healthy Alliance network of CBOs, who will link Fidelis members to social, behavioral and medical care providers through Healthy Together, a closed-loop referral platform powered by Unite Us. CBOs that participate in this program remain front and center in supporting the needs of vulnerable individuals and will be staffed by community health workers who often are from the neighborhoods they serve.

This initiative joins a growing national movement to drive the creation of new models of care with a focus on helping community members and their care teams improve health, instead of just responding when there is a medical problem. "Aligning with CBOs, which often are the first defense in providing for the underlying needs that lead to poor health, can best be made through partnerships like this," said IHANY Board President Paul Barbarotto, D.O., who practices at Capital Region Family Health Care, a practice of St. Peter's Health Partners Medical Associates. "A person's health can now be recognized as much more than the medical care individuals seek from doctors and hospitals."

IHANY is the first and only network of providers certified by New York State and Medicare as an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) in the Capital Region. Formed in 2014, IHANY has worked to transform care to improve the health of community members, particularly those where there is payer support for new models of care that encourage a holistic mind-body-spirit approach.

"Research clearly shows us that the health of people is largely influenced by factors outside the walls of where they get medical care," said IHANY CEO Leslie Barden. "The United States spends significantly less than other developed nations in addressing social determinants of health including safe housing, adequate nutrition, and psycho-social supports. We believe this is a game changer in improving health for all the people we jointly serve."

Healthy Alliance IPA is the first IPA in the nation entirely devoted to addressing social determinants of health. The IPA serves as a central point of contact to connect medical providers, CBOs, ACOs such as IHANY, and managed care organizations such as Fidelis Care, together. By serving as a central point of contact between these diverse organizations, the IPA can ensure each of these entities work together to maximize a person's health. The structure of this partnership, which is part of a growing movement in the Capital Region to improve the overall wellness of communities, will enable a more coordinated and holistic delivery of health care services, as well as work to prepare CBOs for new funding opportunities through value-based payment contracts.

"Through the Healthy Alliance IPA, we are working to proactively address social determinants of health to improve a person's overall health, while also reducing cost of care. But this critical work isn't done in isolation," said Jacob Reider, M.D., CEO of Alliance for Better Health. "The IPA's success is a byproduct of the partnerships we have built in the Capital Region. We are proud to work with medical providers, managed care organizations like Fidelis Care, and ACOs like IHANY. Together, we can improve our community members' health by addressing social needs before they evolve into medical problems."

"Fidelis Care is proud to partner with the Healthy Alliance IPA and the Innovative Health Alliance of New York for this initiative," said David Thomas, President and CEO of Fidelis Care. "Through partnerships such as this, we continue to make the health of our communities a top priority and are ensuring that our Medicaid members have even greater access to affordable, quality health coverage."

About Alliance for Better Health
Alliance for Better Health engages medical and social service providers in developing innovative solutions to promote the health of people and communities, with a goal of transforming the care delivery system into one that incentivizes health and prevention. Established in 2015 as a Performing Provider System in the New York State Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program, Alliance partners with more than 2,000 providers and organizations across a six-county area in New York's Tech Valley and Capital Region. For more information about the IPA and Alliance for Better Health's mission please visit https://abhealth.us/.

About IHANY
The Innovative Health Alliance of New York, LLC (IHANY), is the Capital Region's first Clinically Integrated Network (CIN). This physician-directed multi-provider network is designed to improve health, quality and safety for its members that also results in controlling health care costs. It is made up of more than 1,500 health care participants to work together in joint contracting and share incentive-based payments. IHANY is also an approved Accountable Care Organization (ACO) for the Medicare Shared Savings Program and a New York State All Payer ACO. Learn more at www.ihany.org.

About Fidelis Care
Fidelis Care is a mission-driven health plan offering quality, affordable coverage for children and adults of all ages and at all stages of life. With more than 1.7 million members Statewide, Fidelis Care believes that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. For more information, call Fidelis Care at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit www.fideliscare.org.

Media Contacts:

For Healthy Alliance IPA: Christina Romeo, 631-992-8430, [email protected]
Linda Healan, 404-725-7117, [email protected]

For Innovative Health Alliance of New York (IHANY): Michael Mullaney, 518-525-1232, [email protected]

For Fidelis Care: 718-393-6360, [email protected]

SOURCE Alliance for Better Health