Dive Brief:
- Hospital chain Universal Health Services said it is partnering with Vera Whole Health to boost access to primary care services and ultimately improve health outcomes through a value-based arrangement, according to a statement announcing the deal.
- UHS, based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, will also take a minority stake in the Seattle-based company.
- Vera Whole Health specializes in providing advanced primary care services. The company claims its previous partnerships have resulted in a “25% reduction in overall healthcare costs in the first year.”
Dive Insight:
UHS will leverage its partnership with Vera to help care for its nearly 100,000 insurance plan members throughout Nevada and Texas.
The idea behind the partnership is to go beyond just treating symptoms. The two will addresses patients “whole health, including physical, social and psychological,” according to a statement.
UHS and Vera will work together to provide care through the Prominence Care Centers, which recently opened in Reno and Carson City.
“The Prominence Care Centers provide a full service, face-to-face care model that features health coaching and patient engagement while generating healthcare savings,” UHS President Marc Miller said in a statement. “Members have access to preventative and chronic care management in a convenient setting and a cost-effective manner.”
Recently, CMS announced a new payment model for primary care, hoping to ultimately improve health outcomes. The payment arrangement pushes providers toward more value-based arrangements. The voluntary payment model has a path for both small and large practices and they can choose to engage in full downside risk or partial risk contracts.
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