Cigna Announces New Agreements Offering Patients Enhanced Access to VHAN

Cigna (NYSE: CI) has launched two Collaborative Care initiatives with the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network designed to improve quality, value and the patient care experience for Cigna members who choose care from these network providers. The Cigna Collaborative Care initiative is designed for people covered by a Cigna commercial plan or Cigna-HealthSpring Medicare Advantage plan who receive care from clinicians and facilities participating in the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network. Both organizations have proven track records delivering value-based care, a growing movement in healthcare focused on improving patient experience and overall health while also controlling costs.

  • Cigna has been at the forefront of value-based reimbursement since 2008 and now has more than 200 Cigna Collaborative Care arrangements with primary care physician groups. They span 31 states, reach more than 2.4 million commercial customers and encompass more than 130,000 doctors, including approximately 74,000 primary care physicians and 60,000 specialists.
  • The Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network is a physician-led alliance of providers, health systems, and employers in Tennessee and surrounding states. For the last four years, providers who are part of the network have consistently improved the coordination and patient care experience for patients while reducing the total cost of care to create value for employers, members and providers. In 2016, for example, the network delivered cost savings 2.2 percent below market trend to its health plan customers.

“We have been impressed by Cigna’s work in value-based care and are pleased to be combining the strengths of our organizations to improve the health of communities across Tennessee,” said C. Wright Pinson, M.D. MBA, chairman of the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network’s board and Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Health System officer for Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “Through these relationships with Cigna, we can provide more proactive, coordinated and affordable care that will help people stay healthy and active.”

“Cigna is proud to collaborate with the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network to bring better value, quality and patient experience to our customers here in Tennessee,” said Greg Allen, MidSouth market president for Cigna. “We are dedicated to being the provider partner of choice, and our Collaborative Care program is a very personal and local example of our approach to improving the health, well-being and sense of security of the communities we serve.”

Cigna Collaborative Care

Cigna Collaborative Care covers roughly 173,000 patients in Tennessee who are commercially insured by Cigna. When these patients choose care from providers in the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network, they can benefit from enhanced care coordination services and all the benefits the network offers, including excellent access to high-quality care close to home and work. Network clinicians will be eligible for incentives based upon how well they improve the quality and affordability of care for patients.

For children covered under Cigna Collaborative Care across Tennessee, the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network offers excellent access to more than 700 pediatric primary care providers and specialists, as well as the nationally-recognized Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, covering everything from colds and broken bones to the most complex and rare childhood diseases. Pediatric patients also have access to several after-hours walk-in clinics designed with their needs in mind.

In places where it’s been introduced, Cigna Collaborative Care is helping to improve the health of Cigna customers while effectively managing medical costs by helping to:

  • Close gaps in care such as missed health screenings or prescription refills
  • Encourage appropriate use of hospital emergency rooms
  • Increase the number and quality of appropriate preventive health visits
  • Improve follow-up care for people transitioning from the hospital to home

Cigna HealthSpring Medicare Advantage

This new partnership strengthens care coordination and support for roughly 7,000 patients with Cigna HealthSpring Medicare Advantage benefit coverage who seek primary care from participating clinicians in the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network. When these patients seek care inside the network, they will have access to resources such as specialized care coordination to better manage health and well-being.

Care coordinators who live and work in the Tennessee communities they serve partner directly with clinicians and practices as part of integrated care teams to offer patients the support they need to deal with complex or chronic conditions as well as hospitalizations. The network’s extensive reach will provide convenient access across the state for these patients, enabling them to receive the right care in the right place at the right time.

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 over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 95 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com. For more information about Cigna’s proposed acquisition of Express Scripts, please visit www.advancinghealthcare.com.

About the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network
The Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network is a collaborative partnership of physicians and health systems driving a new level of clinical innovation and teamwork to enhance patient care, contain costs and improve the health of communities in Tennessee and surrounding states. The network is the region’s largest physician-led alliance of healthcare professionals and includes more than 4,800 clinicians, 61 hospitals, 12 health systems, and hundreds of physician practices and clinics. Participating health systems include:

All Cigna products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation. The Cigna name, logos, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc. Cigna-HealthSpring is contracted with Medicare for PDP plans, HMO and PPO plans in select states, and with select State Medicaid programs. Enrollment in Cigna-HealthSpring depends on contract renewal. Cigna-HealthSpring complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. Cigna-HealthSpring does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. English: ATTENTION:If you speak English, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call 1-800-668-3813 (TTY 711). Spanish:  ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-668-3813 (TTY 711). Chinese:注意：如果您使用繁體/中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務  請致電 1-800-668-3813 (TTY 711).

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