Cigna and BayCare Health System Join in Collaborative Accountable Care Initiative, Sign Multiyear Network Agreement

• BayCare Health System hospitals and other facilities renew their in-network relationship with Cigna under new multiyear agreement
• BayCare Physician Partners will be rewarded for improving patient health and lowering medical costs under new collaborative accountable care initiative
• Consumers can benefit from improved care coordination and greater emphasis on preventive care

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cigna (NYSE:CI) and BayCare Health System are extending their long-standing relationship through two new agreements that include the launch of a collaborative accountable care initiative with BayCare Physician Partners and a new three-year agreement for BayCare’s 10 hospitals and other affiliated facilities to continue to be a part of Cigna's network through 2015. The new agreements became effective January 1, 2013.

“This new initiative with Cigna will help our doctors and their staffs to practice medicine the way they want to practice – with a focus on using the resources of BayCare and Cigna to improve both health outcomes and the patient experience”

Collaborative accountable care is Cigna's approach to accomplishing the same population health goals as accountable care organizations, or ACOs. The Cigna/BayCare initiative is designed to expand patient access to health care, improve care coordination, and achieve the “triple aim” of improved health outcomes (quality), affordability and patient satisfaction.

“This new initiative with Cigna will help our doctors and their staffs to practice medicine the way they want to practice – with a focus on using the resources of BayCare and Cigna to improve both health outcomes and the patient experience,” said Bruce Flareau, M.D., president, BayCare Physician Partners. “And because BayCare hospitals will continue to be in Cigna's network, we can offer even more closely integrated services when a patient needs outpatient or inpatient care.”

The program will benefit approximately 13,000 individuals covered by a Cigna health plan who receive care from among approximately 1,000 doctors affiliated with BayCare Physician Partners practicing in some 320 Tampa-area locations. BayCare Health System hospitals and other facilities will continue to be available as an in-network option for all Cigna customers in Florida.

“This collaborative accountable care initiative is our first such program to launch in the Tampa area, and we have the ideal clinical partner in BayCare,” said Scott Evelyn, president and general manager of Cigna in Florida. “BayCare shares our vision of changing the health care delivery system from one that rewards volume of care to one that puts the patient at the center and rewards quality of outcomes and value.”

Under the program, BayCare Physician Partners doctors monitor and coordinate all aspects of an individual’s medical care. Patients continue to go to their current physician and automatically receive the benefits of the program. There are no changes in any plan requirements regarding referrals to specialists. Patients most likely to see the immediate benefits of the program are those who need help managing chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease.

Critical to the program’s benefits are registered nurses, employed by BayCare Physician Partners, who are part of the physician-led care team and serve as clinical care coordinators. They help patients with chronic conditions or other health challenges navigate the health care system. For example, they identify patients discharged from the hospital who might be at risk for readmission, help patients get the follow-up care or screenings they need, identify any issues related to medications and help prevent chronic conditions from worsening.

The care coordinators use patient-specific data from Cigna to help them identify patients in need of these services and are aligned to a team of Cigna case managers to ensure a high degree of collaboration between BayCare and Cigna that ultimately results in a better experience for the individual. Care coordinators can also help patients schedule appointments, provide health education and refer patients to the Cigna health management and wellness programs that may be available to them through their employer’s benefit plan.

Physicians will be rewarded through a “pay for performance” structure if they meet targets for improving quality and lowering medical costs.

Including the new Tampa-area program, Cigna is now engaged in 52 collaborative accountable care initiatives in 22 states, encompassing nearly 510,000 Cigna customers and more than 14,000 doctors, including more than 6,500 primary care physicians and more than 7,500 specialists. Cigna launched its first collaborative accountable care program in 2008 and its goal is to have 100 of them in place with one million customers by the end of 2014.

About BayCare Health System

BayCare Health System is a leading community-based health system in the Tampa Bay area. Composed of a network of 10 not-for-profit hospitals, outpatient facilities and services such as imaging, lab, behavioral health and home health care, BayCare provides expert medical care throughout a patient’s lifetime. With more than 200 access points conveniently located throughout Tampa Bay, BayCare connects patients to a complete range of preventive, diagnostic and treatment services for any health care need.

BayCare’s family of hospitals are: Mease Countryside, Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant, Morton Plant North Bay, St. Anthony’s, St. Joseph’s, St. Joseph’s Children’s, St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, St. Joseph’s Women’s, and South Florida Baptist. For more information, visit BayCare on the Web at www.BayCare.org.

About BayCare Physician Partners

BayCare Physician Partners is a clinically integrated network designed for the future of care. The network is a new model of care that brings physicians and BayCare’s resources into a more clinically and financially aligned business partnership. BayCare Physician Partners also has the flexibility to better prepare participating physicians for changes to the nation’s health care system driven by government reform. www.BayCarePhysicianPartners.com.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has approximately 71 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.