Regence, Legacy Health Join Forces on New Accountable Care Initiative

PORTLAND, Ore., July 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and Legacy Health today announced a new accountable care partnership intended to achieve the triple aim of lowering costs, advancing the health of patients and improving their experience.

Together, Regence and Legacy are implementing an innovative payment model that shifts from traditional fee-for-service arrangements to a population based model emphasizing quality and total cost of care. This will allow Regence to offer lower premiums compared to the current marketplace and add features aimed at engaging members in their healthcare decisions. The new payment model includes a risk-based accountable health program with shared incentive measures based on quality and cost benchmarks. Studies show that these collaborative, outcome-based health care models help improve quality of care and result in higher patient satisfaction.

"This agreement is an exciting example of innovation and collaboration coming together to serve the best interest of our members," said Richard Popiel, M.D. M.B.A, executive vice president of Health Care Services and chief medical officer for Regence. "As two of the largest nonprofit health companies in the Northwest, Regence and Legacy are committed to transforming the patient experience with more effective and affordable care."

"Legacy Health is completely committed to transforming health care in our region," said George J. Brown, MD, President and CEO of Legacy Health. "We were an early leader in adopting the primary care health home model in our clinics, and are working to make care and health advice ever more accessible to our patients – such as with mobile apps and other new technology. Combined with our traditional high quality, high tech care, we have what people in this new product want and need.

"Legacy has committed its strategic planning to care transformation and performance excellence, and this venture with Regence serves both of those strategies," Dr. Brown said. "We are walking the talk of health care transformation."

"With health care shifting by the minute, accountable care partnerships allow Regence to make the kind of changes people are clamoring for: a more transparent system that delivers top-notch care," said Don Antonucci, president of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon. "Legacy's commitment to the community and stellar track record makes them an ideal partner in our efforts to advance the next generation of collaborative care solutions."

The Legacy agreement is the latest – and most advanced – as part of Regence's comprehensive Accountable Health strategy within the Regence family of companies in Oregon, Utah, Washington and Idaho to help foster collaborative physician-patient relationships that improve quality of care. Since 2007, Regence has worked with providers, employers, and individual members throughout its four-state region to implement collaborative care models.

Regence is currently developing additional collaborative arrangements with doctors and hospitals throughout the Northwest region. Announcements are anticipated in the coming weeks.

About Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon is a leading health plan in Oregon, with nearly 750,000 members, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, and is affiliated with Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington). Together, the companies serve more than two million members in the Northwest/Intermountain Region. The Regence affiliated companies are committed to improving the health of its members and communities, and to transforming the health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com or www.twitter.com/RegenceOregon.

About Legacy Health
Legacy Health is the largest nonprofit, community-owned health system in the Portland/Vancouver metro area, operating six hospitals including the largest children's hospital in Oregon. Legacy Health includes Legacy Medical Group, with more than 50 primary care and specialty care locations. Other important Legacy entities include Legacy Laboratory, Legacy Research, and Legacy Hospice. Legacy is the leader in providing community benefit in the metro region, providing more than $205 million each year in care, services, and support.

SOURCE Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon