Florida Blue and Orlando Health Create Accountable Care Arrangement

JACKSONVILLE and ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Blue and Orlando Health Physician Partners announced today the execution of an accountable care agreement, which aims to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care in the Orlando area.

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Through this arrangement, Orlando Health and Florida Blue plan to improve the individual patient experience, while also decreasing medical costs, by enhancing the coordination of care between the two organizations.

Starting on Jan. 1, 2014, the accountable care program will utilize a value-based compensation structure and serve as another example of Florida Blue's payment innovation efforts being deployed in the state. It will decrease medical costs and increase quality outcomes by rewarding the right combination of goals, including transparency, care coordination, consumer empowerment and lack of redundancy.

Orlando Health (OH) consists of approximately 500 employed physicians, both primary care and specialists, and eight hospitals in Lake, Seminole and Orange Counties. OH hospitals include Orlando Regional Medical Center, Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, South Seminole Hospital, South Lake Hospital, Health Central Hospital, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies and MD Anderson Cancer Center.

"By coordinating efforts across the healthcare spectrum, we can deliver better outcomes for patients, provide for a more positive patient experience and improve management of medical costs," said Wayne Jenkins, M.D., President, Orlando Health Physician Partners. "We believe accountable care arrangements such as this are the future of the health care delivery system."

"Florida Blue is honored to partner with one of the leading health care organizations in the Orlando area to improve the quality of care for our members and their patients," said Pat Geraghty, chairman and CEO for Florida Blue. "Enlightened organizations like Orlando Health realize the importance of moving away from the fee-for-service model to one that seeks to eliminate the fragmentation of care, focuses on quality outcomes, and reduces the cost burden for all stakeholders."

About Orlando Health
Orlando Health is a $1.9 billion not-for-profit health care organization and a community-based network of physician practices, hospitals and care centers throughout Central Florida. Physician Associates, one of the largest multi-specialty practices in central Florida, consisting of more than 90 physicians in more than 20 locations, became a member of the Orlando Health family in January, 2013. The organization, which includes the area's only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics, is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals.

About Florida Blue
Florida Blue, Florida's Blue Cross and Blue Shield company, is a leader in Florida's health care industry. Our mission is to help people and communities achieve better health. Florida Blue has approximately 4 million health care members and serves 15.5 million people in 16 states through its affiliated companies. Florida Blue is a not-for- profit, policyholder-owned, tax-paying mutual company. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., it is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information, visit www.FloridaBlue.com.

SOURCE Florida Blue

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