Good Samaritan Hospital, Anthem Blue Cross and six other top hospital systems
have partnered to offer Anthem Blue Cross Vivity, an integrated health
system in Los Angeles and Orange counties. This is a first in the nation
partnership between an insurer and seven competing hospital systems that
will align to enhance the health of all Anthem Blue Cross Vivity members
and also share financial risk and gain.
The six other hospital systems – which all have hospitals ranked
in the top 30 in Los Angeles County by U.S. News & World Report –
are Cedars-Sinai, Huntington Memorial Hospital, MemorialCare Health System,
PIH Health, Torrance Memorial Medical Center and UCLA Health.
“It is an honor for Good Samaritan Hospital to be one of the founding
collaborators on Anthem Blue Cross Vivity,” says Andrew B. Leeka,
President and CEO of Good Samaritan Hospital. “This partnership
deepens our relationship with Anthem Blue Cross and will be a great benefit
to our patients. Adopting an innovative health care model that promotes
disease prevention, coordinated care, quality outcomes and most of all
allowing patients to be an active participant in their own care at an
affordable price is definitely the future of health care.”
Vivity continues the move away from traditional fee-for-service reimbursements
that may incentivize increasing the volume of medical procedures performed
by providers, and continues the trend of moving toward a structure that
financially rewards activities to keep patients healthy.
“This is an exciting and historic time,” said Pam Kehaly, west
region president for Anthem Blue Cross. “This innovative venture
will create a foundation to significantly advance the medical delivery
system, simplifying the care experience and creating a structure with
aligned incentives to eliminate waste and redundancy and improve overall
health.”
This is just the first step in aligning the delivery system. Longer term
value will come from efficiency and effectiveness improvements enabled
by such things as a common electronic health records system, shared care
management systems, joint wellness resources, etc.
Anthem Blue Cross Vivity will provide members with a simpler experience
and convenient access to some of the best primary care doctors, specialists
and hospitals in the region at an affordable price. The seven hospital
systems and their affiliated medical groups have built a network of doctors
that provide both quality care and affordable prices to Vivity members
in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
In the creation of Vivity, accessing health care has been greatly simplified
and costs have been made vastly more predictable. When Vivity members
go to the doctor, have a medical procedure or pick up a prescription,
all they pay is their co-pay. They won’t have to worry about meeting
deductibles or deciphering complicated medical bills.
CalPERS, the nation’s second largest purchaser of health benefits
and an early adopter of health care system innovations, has already agreed
to use Vivity network doctors and hospitals within their Select HMO network
in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Large group brokers can start requesting
proposals on Oct. 1, with coverage starting on Jan. 1, 2015.
This announcement is the culmination of a year’s worth of work. Each
party worked diligently to come together and develop an innovative way
to provide Vivity members with convenient access to quality care at an
affordable price.
The name Vivity captures a fresh perspective on healthcare. Coined from
vivify, a verb meaning “to enliven or animate,” Vivity speaks
to the energized team of providers coming together to deliver a uniquely
people-centric offering. The name’s root in the Latin vivere, “to
live,” highlights what Vivity is all about: impacting the lives
of Southern Californians by giving them access to the highest-quality
care—as well as choice within and control over their experience.
Vivity can be found online at
www.VivityHealth.com.
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First opened in 1885, Good Samaritan Hospital is a 408-bed tertiary care
facility offering some of the most comprehensive care in Los Angeles.
Specializing in cardiac services, women’s services, orthopedics,
oncology, and ophthalmology, Good Samaritan Hospital offers Cardiology
and Cardiothoracic Surgery, Neurosciences program featuring the Gamma
Knife radiosurgery, Ophthalmologic Program including Retinal Surgery,
Orthopedic Surgical Program including Sports Medicine, Oncology Program
using the latest in radiation therapy, Kidney Stone services, Transfusion-Free
Medicine and Surgery Center, and Emergency Services. For more information visit www.goodsam.org.