UnitedHealthcare has formed an accountable care organization with Primary Physician Partners and South Metro Primary Care, two groups with more than 300 total primary care providers managed by Physician Health Partners in Denver.
More than 20,000 patients who are enrolled in UnitedHealthcare's employer-sponsored health benefit plans have access to the ACO.
Providers in the ACO will be eligible for payment incentives based on improvements in metrics such as hospital readmissions, disease management and prevention, patient safety, total cost savings and patient satisfaction scores, according to the news release.
"The traditional healthcare model rewards volume-based medicine rather than emphasizing quality. We are excited to start the journey with UnitedHealthcare toward incentives for quality-based care, with the primary care provider at the center of patient-oriented healthcare," Ken Nielsen, president and CEO of Physician Health Partners, said in the release.
More Articles on Accountable Care Organizations:
Accountable Care Organizations: 2013 Year in Review
Top 4 ACO Reimbursement Models
30 ACOs to Know in the South