Heritage Provider Network to Participate as Medicare Pioneer Accountable Care Organization

MARINA DEL REY, Calif., Dec. 19, 2011  /PRNewswire/ -- Heritage Provider Network (HPN) today announced it has been selected to participate in the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model, a transformative new initiative sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center.

Through the Pioneer ACO Model, HPN will work with CMS to provide Medicare beneficiaries with higher quality care, while reducing growth in Medicare expenditures through enhanced care coordination.

"I am very pleased Heritage Provider Network has been selected to participate in the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization model sponsored by the CMS Innovation Center," said Dr. Richard Merkin, President and CEO of  Heritage Provider Network. "For over 30 years, we at HPN have encouraged and supported an accountable care model of healthcare- a model predicated on providing care that is of the highest quality, that improves the health of our members, and that lowers their healthcare costs. We look forward to continuing these practices with this innovative program."

The Pioneer ACO Model is designed to encourage the development of ACOs, which are groups of doctors and other healthcare providers who work together to provide high quality care for their patients. As one in a diverse group of leading-edge health care organizations from around the country, HPN was chosen specifically by the Innovation Center to test the effectiveness of several models of payment in helping organizations make a rapid transition to higher quality care at a lower cost to Medicare.

"These Pioneer ACOs represent our nation's leaders in health systems innovation, providing highly coordinated care for patients at lower costs," said Marilyn Tavenner, Acting Administrator of CMS. "Heritage Provider Network has demonstrated significant experience in providing high quality, coordinated care, and we are excited to partner with them," Tavenner said.

Heritage California ACO is operated by the Heritage Provider Network (HPN) family of organizations which was founded in 1979 by Dr. Richard Merkin, President and CEO.  The HPN Network is comprised of Heritage Provider Network, Inc. and its ten affiliated Medical Groups and Independent Physician Associations (IPA) which operate throughout eight counties in Southern, Central and Coastal California, spanning San Luis Obispo and Tulare Counties to the North, Orange County to the South, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties to the East, and the entire Los Angeles basin.

HPN has been voted a top 10 provider delivery network by the California Association of Physician Groups and is one of the largest multi-specialty medical groups in California.  HPN delivers high quality, patient centered health care to hundreds of thousands of individuals and through its provider network contracts with 2,300 primary care physicians, 30,000 specialist physicians and over 100 hospitals. Heritage California ACO will demonstrate that a fully integrated patient-focused, physician-directed and care coordinated program will improve quality and reduce healthcare per capita spending.

Today's announcement was the culmination of a competitive selection process that began in May with the national release of a Request for Applications from CMS. HPN was selected based on its demonstrated capabilities to offer high quality, coordinated care.

The Pioneer ACO Model is one of a number of initiatives developed by the new Innovation Center. The Innovation Center was created by the Affordable Care Act to test new models of health care delivery and payment.

ABOUT HPN:

Heritage California ACO is operated by the Heritage Provider Network (HPN) family of organizations which was founded in 1979 by Dr. Richard Merkin, President and CEO.  The HPN Network is comprised of Heritage Provider Network, Inc. and its ten affiliated Medical Groups and Independent Physician Associations (IPA) which operate throughout eight counties in Southern, Central and Coastal California, spanning San Luis Obispo and Tulare Counties to the North, Orange County to the South, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties to the East, and the entire Los Angeles basin. HPN is on the cutting edge of the accountable care model of health care delivery: coordinated, patient-doctor centric, integrated health care systems that represent the future of health care in the United States.

HPN has been voted a top 10 provider delivery network by the California Association of Physician Groups and is one of the largest multi-specialty medical groups in California. This system represents a workable, successful business model that has been duplicated with medical groups, IPAs and medical facilities throughout California.  HPN delivers high quality, patient centered health care to over 700,000 individuals and through its provider network contracts with 2,300 primary care physicians, 30,000 specialist physicians and over 100 hospitals. HPN is dedicated to quality, affordable health care and putting patients' wellness first. (www.heritageprovidernetwork.com)

Helpful Links:

For more information about the Pioneer ACO Model, visit the Pioneer ACO website at www.innovations.cms.gov/areas-of-focus/seamless-and-coordinated-care-models/pioneer-aco/.

The Pioneer ACO Model is one of several initiatives underway at CMS designed to encourage the formation of ACOs. For more information, visit www.cms.gov/aco.

For more information about the Innovation Center, visit innovations.cms.gov.

SOURCE Heritage Provider Network, Inc.