Walmart selected Boston-based New England Baptist Hospital, which specializes in orthopedic care, as a center of excellence for Walmart employees needing hip and knee replacement procedures.
Under the agreement, eligible Walmart medical plan enrollees who undergo joint replacement surgery at NEBH will have their care, travel and lodging fully covered. NEBH will offer the procedure at a fixed price for a bundled care episode.
Self-insured companies are increasingly contracting directly with providers for specialty care and treatment to trim costs. NEBH has similar arrangements with UniCare and General Electric.
This is the latest bundled payment contract Walmart has signed with a provider. In April, the retail giant teamed up with Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare for an ACO and a bundled payment program for spine surgeries and joint replacements.
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