Aetna, PinnacleHealth System Form Accountable Care Relationship

Aetna (NYSE: AET) and PinnacleHealth System today announced a new accountable care agreement that is designed to improve the quality of care and lower overall health care costs for Aetna commercial plan members in the Harrisburg, Pa., area.

The collaboration will use PinnacleHealth’s comprehensive, integrated system of physicians, hospitals and ambulatory services to give area employers better health care options for their employees by:

• Creating a more coordinated patient experience;
• Saving employees money when they use providers aligned with PinnacleHealth; and
• Improving health care outcomes.

Aetna will introduce both fully insured and self-insured health plans in Central Pennsylvania that will use PinnacleHealth’s community-based systems of care and its network of highly respected physicians. The first product, for groups of more than 51 employees, will be available on April 1, 2014. A small-group product for groups of between two and 50 employees will be introduced July 1, 2014.

“Aetna is delighted to announce this agreement with PinnacleHealth,” said Patrick Young, president of Aetna’s Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware operations. “Through accountable care relationships, we’re working closer than ever with physicians and hospitals to make health care more affordable while improving quality and efficiency.”

The Aetna/PinnacleHealth co-branded products will offer a wide array of plan designs and funding options, giving Harrisburg-area employers choices that enhance the membership experience through a collaborative team approach to the full spectrum of health care. It is expected to improve quality and reduce overall health care costs.

“PinnacleHealth continually works to find solutions for our community, including its businesses,” said Michael A. Young, president and CEO of PinnacleHealth System. “We are one of the lowest-cost providers in the state, yet we offer care that’s nationally recognized for its high quality. This is a great opportunity for us to use both attributes to help employers manage health care costs and contribute to their employees’ health.”

Under the agreement, PinnacleHealth has committed to quality and cost outcomes for Aetna members that see PinnacleHealth physicians. Aetna and PinnacleHealth jointly agreed upon a set of metrics surrounding quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction measures.

Accountable care models drive focus on more coordinated care

ACOs are alliances of physicians, hospitals and other providers that coordinate care for their patients. In an ACO, providers assume responsibility for improving the quality of patient care and lowering costs through better coordination and preventive care. Aetna members in these plans will receive an enhanced level of coordinated care.

Aetna is working with health care organizations across the country to develop products and services that support value-driven, patient-centered care. Aetna’s solutions help all types of patients, regardless of payer. Information about Accountable Care Solutions from Aetna is available at www.aetnaacs.com.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving an estimated 44 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services, workers' compensation administrative services and health information technology products and services. Aetna's customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.

About PinnacleHealth System

PinnacleHealth is a not-for-profit healthcare system dedicated to improving the health and quality of life for the people of Central Pennsylvania since 1873. A proven leader in medical innovation, PinnacleHealth offers a wide range of services from primary care to the most complex surgeries and Magnet recognition for nursing excellence. The healthcare network includes four campuses (Community, West Shore, Harrisburg and Polyclinic) with two acute care hospitals, the Helen M. Simpson Rehab Hospital and PinnacleHealth Cancer Center, including a second West Shore location to open summer of 2014. The five-story, 108-bed West Shore Hospital will open in Hampden Township in 2014, bringing emergency, medical/surgical, cardiology, orthopedics, chronic disease management to the West Shore. Medical services, including family practice, imaging, outpatient surgery and oncology are offered at multiple locations throughout the region. For a complete list of services, visit our website at www.pinnaclehealth.org.