Aetna, Atlantic ACO announce new accountable care agreement

Aetna (NYSE: AET) and Atlantic Accountable Care Organization (Atlantic ACO), a partner of Atlantic Health System, today announced a new accountable care agreement that will improve the coordination and delivery of patient care. Atlantic ACO will deliver a better patient experience for more than 28,000 Aetna members in Morris, Sussex, Union, Somerset, Warren and Passaic counties.

Atlantic ACO is a group of health care providers who coordinate care and are accountable for cost, quality and patient satisfaction for the health care they provide. The Atlantic ACO includes more than 1,700 primary care physicians and specialists.

Aetna members who use the Atlantic ACO and Centers of Excellence will experience more coordinated care, particularly those patients with chronic or complex conditions. They also will have enhanced access to appropriate care and they will benefit from the improved flow of information to treating physicians in the Atlantic ACO.

"Simply stated, when hospitals and health plans work together, health care improves for the people we serve," said John Lawrence, president, Aetna - New Jersey. "Aetna will work closely with the ACO physicians to identify specific areas where we can either develop or improve on the sharing of specific, useful health information. In turn, the physicians will use this information to improve care for patients, close gaps in care and reduce waste. We are creating a continuous loop of improved information to drive better care. By working together, we can bring better health, better care and better cost to thousands of Aetna members beginning this spring."

"We are very excited to partner with Aetna, and together, offer patients well-coordinated care to live healthier, more productive lives," said David Shulkin, M.D., president, Atlantic ACO and Morristown Medical Center and vice president, Atlantic Health System. "We look forward to working with Aetna to deliver superior results for our patients."

Aetna members who have been treated by Atlantic ACO affiliated physicians over the last 24 months will be attributed to this agreement. Their benefits will not change, but they will be part of a select group who will receive highly coordinated, personalized care. To support these members, Atlantic ACO's coordinators will complement Aetna's care management programs in an effort to lower the number of days patients spend hospitalized and improve members' health outcomes.

The careful tracking of quality metrics is a critical part of why accountable care organizations are successful at improving patient care and are fundamental to the incentive structure. This agreement includes a shared savings model that rewards Atlantic ACO physicians for meeting certain quality and efficiency measures such as:

• The percentage of Aetna members who receive recommended preventive care and screenings;
• Better management of patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart failure;
• Reductions in avoidable hospital readmission rates; and
• Reductions in unnecessary emergency room visits.