Valley Preferred, a provider-owned preferred provider organization aligned with Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, Pa., has formed a new accountable care agreement with Aetna.
Valley Preferred contracts with health insurance companies and includes more than 4,200 physicians and 18 hospitals.
Through the accountable care agreement, Aetna will introduce fully insured health plans using Valley Preferred's network of physicians. The plans will be available April 1 to any employer with two or more employees.
Valley Preferred has a performance-based incentive program in place for its physicians, focusing on improving quality, efficiency and the patient experience, according to the news release.
"Valley Preferred's ACO physicians, care coordination efforts and quality improvement programs, together with Aetna, will work to achieve measurable advancements in patient care and cost control for the employers and families of Lehigh and Northampton counties," Jack Lenhart, MD, executive director of Valley Preferred, said in the release.
In July 2013, Valley Preferred and Cigna launched a collaborative accountable care initiative — the insurer's version of accountable care organizations.
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