Oak Street Health and Interwell launch OakWell to provide primary care in dialysis centers
OakWell will be reimbursed for its services by contracting with insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans.
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Oak Street Health, a network of value-based primary care centers based in Medicare, and kidney management company Interwell Health have announced the launch of OakWell, a joint venture to offer primary care to end-stage kidney disease patients directly in the dialysis center.
WHY THIS MATTERS
This approach aims to reduce hospitalizations, increase kidney transplantations and improve outcomes to lower the total cost of care. Patients who receive in-center dialysis treatment typically spend upwards of 12 hours per week in a dialysis center.
The plan is to start by partnering with dialysis centers in Chicago, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth and begin offering care services in these areas in the third quarter of this year, said David Buchanan, Oak Street's chief clinical officer, in a statement.
OakWell will be reimbursed for its services by contracting with insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans, Buchanan said.
A 2021 study from the University of Southern California found that Medicare's average monthly spending on healthcare services for patients with end stage kidney disease was $14,399 per individual, which is 33 times the amount for enrollees without end stage kidney disease.
The care teams will focus on managing patients' chronic conditions, helping them avoid missed dialysis treatments, rescheduling any missed dialysis treatments and coordinating care that needs to take place outside the center. They will also provide behavioral health and renal pharmacy support services, as well as facilitate the coordination of kidney transplants when possible.
If a patient has an urgent need, and they aren't currently in the dialysis center, OakWell will conduct video visits to help patients avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency department.
THE LARGER TREND
Last month, CVS Health announced its plans to acquire Oak Street. OakWell won't compete with CVS' kidney care program, the company said. Instead of focusing on the home, OakWell will operate within existing dialysis centers.
ON THE RECORD
"We envision a better way for primary care providers to truly partner with the dialysis center team and the treating nephrologist – one that is tightly coordinated and creates a seamless, concierge experience for end stage kidney disease patients," Buchanan said. "Kidney patients have unique challenges, so bringing more coordinated primary and kidney care into the dialysis center is truly transformational."
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org
Darren Mann, Kathryn Kuttler and Dr. Peter Haug will offer more detail during the HIMSS23 session "Improved Patient Care Enabled by Real-Time Interoperable Clinical Decision Support." It is schedule for Thursday, April 20 at 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. CT at the South Building, Level 1, room S105 C.
