Home Health Care Humana launches nationwide value-based cancer care program

Humana launches nationwide value-based cancer care program

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As part of its effort to shift more of its business towards value-based care arrangements, Louisville-based insurer Humana has launched a national Oncology Model of Care program meant to drive better treatment of cancer patients across the country.

Through the program – which targeted at both Medicare Advantage beneficiaries and commercial members – Humana will support better care coordination and health outcomes through financial incentives.

The insurer said it will provide compensation for better care navigation based on quality and cost metrics across various parts of the patient journey ranging from inpatient admissions, ED visits, prescription drugs, diagnostics and radiology.

Humana lists 16 providers as inaugural participants in the program including multiple members of The US Oncology Network, along with health systems and practices like Cincinnati-based Tri Health and Kentucky’s Baptist Health Medical Group.

While the CMS Innovation Center has developed its own Oncology Care Model, the program is focused on episodes of care surrounding chemotherapy administration.

Humana is hoping to improve general cancer care for patients over the period of a year by emphasizing more face time between physicians and patients, access to proactive health screenings and the increased use of data analytics to better coordinate care around patients.

The new oncology program is the payer’s fourth specialty-care payment model, alongside bundled payment programs for Medicare Advantage spinal fusion patients and total joint replacement patients, as well as maternity care bundled payment programs for commercial group members with low-to-moderate risk pregnancies.

Humana has more than 2 million Medicare Advantage members and around 115,000 commercial plan members who are cared for by primary care physicians in value-based payment relationships.

In the company’s 2018 report on its value-based care practices, Humana found that MA members with physicians in value-based care relationships experienced 7 percent fewer emergency room visits and 5 percent fewer hospital admissions

Medical costs for patients who were affiliated with physicians in Humana MA value-based agreements were also 15.6 percent lower than traditional Medicare.

Humana’s recent activities are indicative of the larger payer industry making a full-scale business transition to value-based care.

Case in point, UnitedHealthcare is launching a Care Bundles program next year that will offer providers across 30 states the option of participating in bundled payment arrangements for eight medical procedures for MA patients.

Picture: Hong Li, Getty Images

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