UnityPoint Accountable Care Announces $28.2 Million in Shared Savings for Performance Year 2020

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Nov. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UnityPoint Accountable Care (UAC), a subsidiary of UnityPoint Health, has earned $28.2 million in shared savings for calendar year 2020. This result stems from UAC's quality and cost performance in the Medicare Next Generation Accountable Care Model (ACO), administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Innovation (CMMI) Center.

As an early adopter of providing value-based care, UAC is one of the longest-standing ACO model participants in the country with a proven track record for improving quality and reducing costs for patients. Providing care in both urban and rural care settings, with over 8,000 providers across four states, UAC is one of the largest participants in the Next Generation ACO Model. The 2020 results have put UAC in the top 5 Next Generation ACO Model programs in the category for shared savings dollars. CMMI also rates ACOs on quality. UAC received a quality score of 98.7 out of 100.

"UAC prides itself on being a leader in the shift to value-based care. Our continued emphasis on improving outcomes, decreasing the cost of health care, and improving the experience and wellbeing of our patients and team members is validated by the results achieved with the Next Generation ACO Model," said Dr. Sanjeeb Khatua, MD, UnityPoint Accountable Care Chief Executive Officer. "We are extremely proud of the innovative care delivery models that have been implemented emphasizing innovation, technology, data and our provider teams' expertise," said Khatua. "We remain committed in our shift to value-based care with a continued focus on engaging and delivering value to the communities and patients we serve."

To improve quality and reduce or eliminate unnecessary costs in the health care system, UAC developed the UnityPoint Health ambulatory division "Care at Home" service line and the "Intellicenter" which offers home-based care opportunities and expands existing care options for patients under the Next Generation ACO Model. New care initiatives made available for eligible Medicare patients through these efforts include the following:

Follow-up care visit at a patient's home after a hospital discharge
The Next Generation ACO Model Post-Discharge Home Visit (PDHV) Benefit Enhancement allows licensed clinicians from the UnityPoint Health Care at Home team to provide a visit at a patient's home under supervision from a physician, providing flexibility right after a Medicare patient is discharged from the hospital. In 2020, this Benefit Enhancement was used for 809 UAC patients.

Support for patients transitioning back home from the hospital
The IntelliCenter assists a patient's transition back home by providing a post-discharge phone assessment with the patient to determine their care needs and develop a plan post-hospital stay.

Care coordination for the patient between the hospital and skilled nursing facility Improved care coordination through effective use of the Next Generation ACO Model Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) 3-Day Rule Waiver Benefit Enhancement, which waives the rule of requiring a 3-day stay in an inpatient hospital prior to admission to a skilled nursing facility.

The 2020 performance year results, posted by CMS for all organizations participating in the Next Generation ACO Model, continue to advance value-based health care and produce better care and patient outcomes. The Next Generation ACO Model requires participating health care organizations to take on greater financial risk than previous ACO models and work to continually improve quality while reducing unnecessary cost.

About UnityPoint Accountable Care
UnityPoint Accountable Care (UAC) is a network of more than 8,000 physicians and providers in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri. Currently serving more than 80,000 Medicare patients, UAC is one of the largest Accountable Care Organizations in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Next Generation ACO Model and has maintained its position as a leader in health delivery innovation through participation in both government and commercial insurance value-based programs. UnityPoint Accountable Care is driving the continued transition of UnityPoint Health from the fee-for-service payment model. More information is available at unitypoint.org/aco. The ACO's hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CST, Monday – Friday.

About UnityPoint Health
UnityPoint Health is one of the nation's most integrated health systems, providing care to both metropolitan and rural communities across Iowa, western Illinois, and southern Wisconsin. Headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, UnityPoint Health has relationships with more than 400 physician clinics, 20 regional and 19 community network hospitals, 7 community mental health centers, 4 accredited colleges and home care services throughout its 9 regions. UnityPoint Health entities employ more than 32,000 employees who are dedicated to making it easier for people to live well. More at unitypoint.org.

SOURCE UnityPoint Health

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