Carrum Health Expands Bundled Payment Offerings to Bariatric Surgeries

Award-Winning Bundled Payment Platform Addresses Growing Need in U.S. Healthcare

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Aug 02, 2017, 09:37 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Carrum Health, the first comprehensive bundled payment platform for employers, today announced the expansion of their bundled payment offerings to include bariatric surgeries by partnering with Scripps Health, a provider of top-quality care in bariatrics. The U.S. has one of the largest populations of obese adults representing more than one-third of the nation with $1,429 or more in annual individual medical costs than those of a normal weight. To address this rising health concern, bariatric surgeries have become an effective intervention to improve quality of life and overall health, while significantly reducing medical costs.

Carrum Health connects self-insured employers to top-quality regional healthcare providers through standard bundled payment arrangements. Their goal is to improve the healthcare experience and outcomes of patients, while reducing the cost burden for both employers and their employees. They also aim to help top-quality provider systems pursuing value-based care initiatives establish themselves as Centers of Excellence and gain market share.

"Our goal as an organization is to offer our customers the resources they need to better serve their employee population," said Sach Jain, CEO of Carrum Health. "With the rising health concern of obesity and the effectiveness of bariatric surgeries, our latest offering addresses and mitigates the volatility associated with them. Our user-friendly platform connects employees with the highest quality care at a competitive rate."

Scripps Health, a private nonprofit integrated health system in San Diego, is one of the first health organizations to engage in this form of bundled payments. The health system is accredited by Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). Scripps has demonstrated a track record of positive outcomes in bariatric surgery with more than 17,000 surgeries performed at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego.

"As healthcare continues to march towards value-based care, bundled payments serve as an effective stepping stone," said Michael Bark, Assistant Vice President of Payer Relations at Scripps Health. "With Carrum Health's expansion into bariatric surgeries, we're able to continue to serve our patient community with the best quality of care at a low cost. The bundled payment offering allows us to properly manage a patient's journey from start to finish which addresses any issues that could have a detrimental impact on both health and overall costs associated with the procedure."

Carrum Health streamlines the bariatric bundled payment process by facilitating the evaluation for surgical appropriateness with an expert surgeon at the Center of Excellence. If the patient moves forward with surgery, Carrum Health provides tools and a patient advocate to manage logistics, including scheduling appointments, gathering medical records and coordinating travel. Carrum Health currently offers access to orthopedic, spine and cardiac care.

To learn more about Carrum Health's offerings, visit: https://www.carrumhealth.com/

About Carrum Health
Carrum Health was founded in 2014 with a mission to "bring common sense to healthcare" through a model that is mutually beneficial for providers, employers and their employees. Carrum achieves this by connecting thoughtful and progressive self-insured employers with regional Center of Excellence providers under bundled payment arrangements. Doing so aligns provider incentives with quality performance, resulting in dramatic improvement in both the patient experience and care outcomes. In addition, both employers and their employees achieve significant cost savings while top doctors and hospitals recognize increased volume and new revenue streams. For more information, visit carrumhealth.com.

About Scripps Health:
Scripps is a private, nonprofit, integrated health system in San Diego, California committed to providing the highest quality care to you and your family. Whether you are looking for some of the best doctors in San Diego or need care at one of our top-ranked hospitals, Scripps offers excellent medical care as well as preventive services and wellness screenings for every stage of life. For more information, visit https://www.scripps.org/.

SOURCE Carrum Health