Humana announces value-based agreement with Minnesota-based Allina Health

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Insurer Humana and nonprofit healthcare system Allina Health are expanding their existing agreement to focus on value-based care for Humana's Medicare Advantage members in Minnesota, the organizations said this week.

The multiyear agreement, which takes effect January 1, will reportedly emphasize more personal time with healthcare professionals, as well as personalized care tailored to each member's unique health situation.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT?

The agreement also encompasses a number of other facets, including access to proactive health screenings and programs that are focused on preventing illness.

Humana and Allina are also promising improved care for people living with chronic conditions, with a focus on avoiding health complications, and signaled their intent to leverage technologies, such as data analytics, that connect physicians and help them work as a team to coordinate care around a given patient.

Another point of focus is reimbursement to physicians linked to the health outcomes of their patients rather than based solely on the quantity of services they provide – a nod to the shift from fee-for-service care to value-based care.

According to Humana, the insurer offers HMO-POS and local PPO plans in Minnesota to meet a variety of individual healthcare needs, including plans that include $0 premiums, supplemental benefits and top-ranked customer experience for insurance companies, based on the 2021 Forrester CX Index. 

In June, Humana ranked first for customer experience quality in Forrester's proprietary 2021 U.S. CX Index survey. The ranking was based on responses from more than 85,000 U.S. survey respondents from 13 industries.

THE LARGER TREND

Humana has entered into a number of different partnerships throughout the year. In February, it announced it is teaming up with in-home medical care provider DispatchHealth to provide its members with advanced home healthcare services in an effort to enhance patients' experience and health outcomes. 

The agreement will provide members living with multiple chronic conditions – such as cellulitis, kidney and urinary tract infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure and others – with an opportunity to be treated safely at home and thereby avoid hospital visits.

In July, Humana and Signify Health began working together with the Alamo Area Community Network to support Humana Medicare Advantage members in San Antonio through AACN's community resources and by connecting those in need with health-related social services such as food, transportation, housing and financial assistance. It marked the latest effort in Humana's six-year Bold Goal campaign to address health-related social needs.

That same month, Anthem, Humana and SS&C Technologies entered into a joint venture named DomaniRx to develop a claims adjudication and pharmacy benefits manager cloud platform, according to documents filed by SS&C Technologies with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Then in September, the insurer partnered with multi-specialty group practice Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, signing an in-network agreement that Humana hopes will allow expanded access to value-based care through a broadening of its Medicare Advantage provider network in the Houston area.

Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com