Northwell Health, New York's largest healthcare provider and private employer, has chosen its affiliated, direct-to-employer company, Northwell Direct, to supply the provider network for the system's 2022 healthcare benefits for about 75,000 employees and dependents, the New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based system said Oct. 11.
Brighton Health Plan Solutions will manage health benefits for the employees and dependents using the Northwell Direct network, a for-profit business venture comprising nearly 20,000 physicians in the New York City metropolitan area.
Northwell Health said it is the first time the system has chosen direct network contracting, rather than engaging with a traditional insurance company.
"Northwell Health has a unique perspective on the importance of providing employees easy access to the highest quality medical care while also keeping costs manageable and predictable," Joe Moscola, Northwell Health's executive vice president of enterprise services, said in a news release. "By avoiding the need for a traditional insurance company and partnering directly with Northwell Direct, we believe we can increase quality of care and improve user experience while reducing the burden of healthcare costs."
This is not the first direct contracting agreement for Northwell Direct, which launched in 2020. The company signed an agreement with Whole Foods in January to provide primary care services to workers in the New York City metropolitan area. Northwell Direct also partners with JetBlue Airways.