Program enhancements include new incentives for providers and plan members to achieve dual goals of achieving better outcomes and lowering overall health care costs
HARTFORD – May 11, 2022 – Comptroller Natalie Braswell announced today that the state health plan has launched the next phase of its innovative value-based care payment program, aimed at improving the quality, affordability, and experience of health care for hundreds of thousands of state employees and retirees. Three Connecticut facilities — Women’s Health Connecticut, UConn Health and Trinity Health Of New England’s Saint Francis Hospital — have been designated Centers of Excellence for certain procedures to recognize and reward their demonstrated superior quality of care.
Launched in 2020, the state’s innovative Providers of Distinction program incentivizes the highest-quality care at the lowest possible cost for more than 40 common procedures and conditions including knee replacement, colonoscopy, cataract surgery and care related to pregnancy. By negotiating fixed, guaranteed pricing with providers to coordinate and deliver care across the patient’s care journey, the state reduces variation in costs while improving health care quality and outcomes.
“Providers across the state have embraced the opportunity to work in partnership with us to deliver high-quality, coordinated care while controlling costs,” said Connecticut Comptroller Natalie Braswell. “The new Centers of Excellence designation is a natural next step in our evolution of the program to recognize and reward those providers who are performing at the highest levels. Congratulations to Women’s Health Connecticut, UConn Health, and Trinity Health of New England’s Saint Francis Hospital for this impressive achievement. It’s my hope that, by elevating the most talented doctors, hospitals, provider groups and other medical institutions, that we can lower costs throughout the state and make Connecticut the health care capital of the nation.”
More than 340 providers currently participate in the Providers of Distinction program based on their demonstrated ability to deliver the best health care outcomes for patients at competitive prices. Those covered by the state’s health plan, including members of the Connecticut Partnership Plan, now will automatically receive cash incentives ranging from $100 to $1,000 when they have eligible procedures performed by participating providers. Incentives for both plan members and providers increase based on two provider performance tiers, called Providers of Distinction and Centers of Excellence. Providers of Distinction are those provider organizations that scored higher than their peers in affordability and clinical quality, while Centers of Excellence provider organizations are those who score the highest among their peers in affordability, clinical quality, and additional areas such as process improvement, leadership, clinical innovation, and patient focus. Three provider groups have been designated Centers of Excellence for 2022-2023, including:
- Women’s Health Connecticut for maternity and hysterectomy episodes of care
- UConn Health for maternity, knee replacement and revision, lumbar laminectomy, and lumbar spine fusion episodes of care
- Trinity Health Of New England’s Saint Francis Hospital for hip replacement and hip revision, knee replacement and knee revision, lumbar laminectomy, and lumbar spine fusion episodes of care
In 2021, the State of Connecticut Health Plan was approved by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as an Advanced Alternative Payment Model (AAPM). With this designation, eligible doctors, hospitals and provider groups that have contracted with the state may receive certain credit for their participation under the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System.
Signify Health supports the State of Connecticut’s Episodes of Care program by identifying, contracting with and supporting participating providers with services, technology, and analytics, as well as securing fixed, episodes-of-care pricing with high-value network providers.
“The State of Connecticut has been a catalyst for accelerating the adoption of value-based payment models by innovative provider organizations across the state,” said Laurel Douty, Executive Vice President, Clinical Operations at Signify Health. “We are proud to support the State and its work to align primary and specialty care providers around what’s best for the patient – and help all citizens benefit from a higher quality system of care.”
Nancy Bernstein, President and CEO of Women's Health Connecticut said of the designation: "As a high-volume resource for women in both maternity and gynecologic surgery, we've long held the belief that there could be more cost efficiency in this space. We have enjoyed being the state's partner in this program and in making a tangible difference toward reducing healthcare cost. We're grateful to receive this COE distinction for those efforts."
“The Center of Excellence designations affirm UConn Health’s steadfast focus on patient-centered, high-quality, and affordable care,” says Dr. Bruce T. Liang, interim CEO of UConn Health. “We are proud to be a partner in the state’s initiative further elevating the quality and value of health care for all.”
“The State of Connecticut’s innovative value-based care payment program is an exciting move for all those insured by the State’s health plan, offering patients the assurance that they are receiving affordable, high-quality care. As the clinically integrated network for Trinity Health Of New England, SoNE HEALTH is dedicated to a collaborative approach to healthcare and we are honored to align with the State of Connecticut on this initiative,” stated Lisa Trumble, President and CEO at SoNE HEALTH.
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About the Office of the State Comptroller
Connecticut’s Office of the State Comptroller administers the health plan covering state and certain municipal workers, retirees, and their dependents, totaling over 220,000 lives. Comptroller Natalie Braswell has focused the efforts of the office on improving the quality of care, including access to preventive screenings, while simultaneously reducing costs. For more information, visit osc.ct.gov.
About Signify Health
Signify Health (NYSE: SGFY) is a leading healthcare platform that leverages advanced analytics, technology, and nationwide healthcare provider networks to create and power value-based payment programs. Our mission is to transform how care is paid for and delivered so that people can enjoy more healthy, happy days at home. Our solutions support value-based payment programs by aligning financial incentives around outcomes, providing tools to health plans and healthcare organizations designed to assess and manage risk and identify actionable opportunities for improved patient outcomes, coordination and cost-savings. Through our platform, we coordinate what we believe is a holistic suite of clinical, social, and behavioral services to address an individual’s healthcare needs and prevent adverse events that drive excess cost, all while shifting services towards the home. For more information on how we are taking health homeward, visit us at signifyhealth.com.
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