Lower Costs, More Proactive Care in Aetna and Banner Health Network Accountable Care Collaboration

Aetna (NYSE: AET) and Banner Health Network (BHN) today announced that their accountable care collaboration resulted in a shared savings of approximately $5 million on Aetna Whole Health fully-insured commercial membership in 2013 and a five percent decline in average medical cost on the members. At the same time, Aetna and BHN improved cancer screening rates, blood sugar management in diabetic members and reduced avoidable hospital admissions. The results demonstrate that patients benefit when physicians and health plans share resources and work together in accountable care models. Further, Aetna and BHN saw savings and improved medical cost trend on additional membership outside the Aetna Whole Health product.

An accountable care collaboration is a group of health care providers who assume responsibility for the quality and cost of care for a group of patients. The collaboration between BHN and Aetna gives consumers and employers better health care options. Consumers who receive care in this new model save money by using providers in BHN. They also benefit from a more coordinated, personalized experience that is designed to produce better overall health outcomes.

Through care coordination by a clinical team and proactive management of patients’ needs, rather than episode-based treatment of illness, providers in accountable care models can provide more efficient and cost-effective care. Health plans support the practice with relevant patient care data, analysis and quality measurement along with financial rewards for improved care quality.

“Aetna and BHN have a collaborative relationship that is to the benefit of our members and employers,” said Chuck Lehn, BHN’s Chief Executive Officer. “These results are rewarding because they validate our model-- it is possible to deliver quality care at more affordable prices.”

Aetna and BHN began their accountable care collaboration in 2011 and the tools and learning from this relationship supported BHN’s Medicare Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model in 2012. Aetna and BHN offer the Aetna Whole Health plans – ACO-centered health plan products – to employers and individuals in the Phoenix area. The products are also available to individuals on the public exchange. In addition, Aetna care management and technologies support BHN in delivering patient-centered, accountable care to its Pioneer Medicare beneficiaries as well as Banner Health employees in seven states.

“The success of this collaboration demonstrates that insurance carriers and providers can work together in a unified approach to provide quality, coordinated care while reducing health care costs,” said Tom Dameron, Aetna’s local market president for Arizona. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with Banner to help our members live healthier, more productive lives.”

Significant results seen during the second full year of the accountable care collaboration between Aetna and BHN include:

• Improvements in cancer screening rates, including cervical and colorectal cancer screening;
• Reductions in the percent of diabetic members with poorly controlled blood sugar levels;
• Reductions in radiology services of approximately 9 percent;
• Increases in generic prescribing rate by almost 4 percent; and
• Reductions in avoidable admissions by approximately 9 percent.

Aetna is working with health care organizations across the country to develop products and services that support value-driven, patient-centered care for all health care consumers. Nationally, more than 2.3 million members are served by value-based health care models.

About Banner Health Network

Banner Health Network was designed to provide a highly coordinated patient care experience for beneficiaries of government and private sector insurance plans. BHN is comprised of 3,000 Banner Health-affiliated providers, caring for 300,000 covered lives. With a population health management focus, and a sophisticated health information technology as support, Banner Health Network seeks to provide high quality care at an affordable price. Parent company, Banner Health, is one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the country, with operations in seven states. For more information go to www.BannerHealth.com.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving an estimated 45 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services, workers' compensation administrative services and health information technology products and services. Aetna's customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com and learn about how Aetna is helping to build a healthier world. @aetna