Independence Blue Cross and St. Mary Medical Center announce new contract
Philadelphia, PA — In a shared commitment to improve quality and reduce the cost of health care in southeastern Pennsylvania, Independence Blue Cross (Independence) and St. Mary Medical Center have signed a new multi-year contract.
As a part of the agreement, St. Mary Medical Center will for the first time be participating in Independence’s innovative accountable care payment model which rewards hospitals and physicians that provide better coordinated, higher quality, and more cost-effective care. The model, now in its sixth year, has been adopted by more than 90 percent of the region’s health systems.
“We’re pleased to continue our long-time relationship with St. Mary Medical Center, which has offered our members high quality care for many years,” said Anthony Coletta, M.D., MBA, president of Facilitated Health Networks and executive vice president at Independence. “There are no silver bullets to fix our health care system, but payment models like the one St. Mary is now participating in puts further accountability for both the cost and quality of care in the hands of doctors and hospitals where it belongs, and we’re excited about the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with St. Mary to find new and innovative ways to improve care quality and lower costs.”
“We are looking forward to working with Independence Blue Cross on important quality, access and care management innovations”, said Daniel P. Moen, president and CEO of St. Mary. “St. Mary has a long history of providing advanced, high quality care to the residents of Bucks County. Our partnership with Independence Blue Cross will help us to continue to serve our entire region.”
The new agreement, which will go into effect on April 1, 2016, offers Independence members continued access to covered services at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, PA, and its owned physician practices.
About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. With our affiliates, we serve nearly 9 million people in 32 states and the District of Columbia, including 2.5 million in the region. For nearly 80 years, we have been enhancing the health and wellness of the people and communities we serve by delivering innovative and competitively priced health care products and services; pioneering new ways to reward doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals for coordinated, quality care; and supporting programs and events that promote wellness. To learn more, visit www.ibx.com. Connect with us on Facebook at ibx.com/facebook and on Twitter at @ibx. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
About St. Mary Health
St. Mary Health, a member of Trinity Health, the nation’s second largest Catholic health care organization, is an integrated health care system based in Langhorne, Pa. At the core is St. Mary Medical Center, the most comprehensive medical center in the Bucks County region. The St. Mary Health staff of more than 700 , 3,200 colleagues, and 1,100 volunteers is committed to providing excellence in patient safety and compassionate, quality care through an enhanced and expanding array of health and wellness services designed to meet community needs now and in the future. For a full listing of the myriad health care services St. Mary Health offers, visit www.stmaryhealthcare.org.
Media Contact
Diana Quattrone
215-241-3113 (office)
215-815-7828 (cell)
Diana.Quattrone@ibx.com