Independence Blue Cross and Jefferson Health renew long-term, innovative contract

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Independence Blue Cross (Independence) and Jefferson Health have signed a long-term renewal of their innovative contract. The renewal marks a continued commitment by the two organizations to work together to enhance health care quality and access in the region, as well as maintaining affordability. It also extends Jefferson Health's participation in Independence's Total Value of Care value-based care program. The contract, which for the first time includes Einstein Healthcare Network and Jefferson Health New Jersey, will go into effect on January 1, 2023.

"This long-term contract renewal is a significant and positive step forward in our work with Jefferson Health," said Gregory E. Deavens, president and CEO of Independence Blue Cross. "It acknowledges the near-term cost pressures that certain health systems are facing right now and increases our ability to find innovative ways to work together on value-based initiatives that keep costs down for our members and customers."

"This agreement will enable Jefferson to further our mission to improve lives in the communities we serve," said Dr. Joseph G. Cacchione, CEO of Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University. "We look forward to working together with Independence Blue Cross to further expand our innovative programs and explore additional partnerships that will enhance overall health in the region."

Value-based care has been an important focus of Independence and Jefferson Health's work together since 2017. Through Independence's value-based care program, aligned with Jefferson Health's extensive population health resources, the two organizations work together to deliver well-coordinated and team-based care. They also share in the accountability for both the quality and cost of care. Working this way drives more efficient and effective care that focuses on patients' and members' needs.

Jefferson Health and Independence are also committed to collaborating on and co-investing in innovative approaches to care. These approaches could improve health outcomes, break down barriers to care, improve upon health care inequities, and drive increased cost efficiency in the system. Two examples of this work include:

• Telehealth-Enabled Integrated Palliative Care for People with Dementia, a project that Jefferson Health is running, and Independence is funding through its Clinical Care Innovation Program. The program uses a telehealth and web-based advanced care planning model to help reduce barriers that older urban dwelling people with dementia face when trying to access palliative care. The goal is for this model to improve health and wellness at a population level and potentially reduce overall cost of care.
  
  
• Accelerate Health Equity, a multi-year initiative that brings together organizations across the Philadelphia region – including Independence and Jefferson Health – to combat health inequities and eliminate barriers to achieving equitable health outcomes. It's designed to produce tangible improvement in these issues and, ultimately, positive change in health outcomes in Philadelphia.

Over the next few years, Independence and Jefferson Health plan to expand their work together. Integrating physical and behavioral health will be a particular area of focus, as will efforts to improve maternal and cardiovascular health.

About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. For more than 80 years, we have been enhancing the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve. We deliver innovative and competitively priced health care products and services; pioneer new ways to reward doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals for coordinated, quality care; and support programs and events that promote wellness. To learn more, visit ibx.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About Jefferson
Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 43,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and four schools offering 200 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,400 students. Jefferson Health serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 18 hospitals and over 50 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region.

SOURCE Independence Blue Cross