Facey Medical Group and Cigna Offer Collaborative Care Program to Improve Health and Lower Costs

Cigna, (NYSE: CI) Facey Medical Group and Facey Medical Foundation began the New Year with a collaborative care initiative to provide better patient access to health care, to enhance care coordination and to achieve the goals of improving health, affordability and patient experience.

Through the program, Cigna and Facey Medical Group will work together to improve care coordination with an emphasis on preventive care, including follow-up with patients to ensure they understand their health care teams’ recommendations to improve or maintain their health.

Under the program, Facey Medical Group patients with Cigna coverage will continue to see their current physicians, who will monitor and coordinate all aspects of their medical care. These individuals and all Facey patients who enroll in the future in Cigna health plans will automatically receive the benefits of the program.

Facey registered nurse clinical care coordinators, who are aligned with a team of Cigna case managers, will identify patients being discharged from hospitals who might be at risk for readmission; patients who are overdue for important health screenings; and those who fail to refill prescriptions. The care coordinators, part of a physician-led care team, will help patients get the follow-up care or screenings they need.

“We recognize that patients often are overwhelmed by their health needs and the information they receive during appointments, and they might not remember important details,” said Erik Davydov, M.D., medical director of Facey Medical Group. “This program will help Facey patients, especially those with chronic conditions, by providing follow-up calls to make sure their physicians’ recommendations are followed and any questions answered.”

Care coordinators also can help people schedule appointments, provide health education and refer patients to Cigna’s clinical support programs, available through some benefit plans. Such programs include disease management programs for diabetes, heart disease and other conditions, and lifestyle management programs to help quit smoking or manage weight.

“Together our goal is to change the health care system from one that pays for the number or volume of services to one that places more emphasis on the quality and results of that care,” said Gene Rapisardi, president and general manager for Cigna in Southern California. “We believe this change will lead to better health, lower costs and increased satisfaction for both our customers and their doctors.”

The program, which began Jan. 1, will benefit more than 2,500 individuals covered by Cigna health plans who receive care from more than 200 Facey Medical Group primary care doctors and specialists.

Cigna Collaborative Care is Cigna’s approach to accomplishing the same population health goals as accountable care organizations, or ACOs.

In places where it’s been introduced, Cigna Collaborative Care is helping to improve the health of Cigna customers while effectively managing medical costs. The programs are helping to close gaps in care, such as missed health screenings or prescription refills, reinforcing the appropriate use of hospital emergency rooms, increasing the number of preventive health visits and improving follow-up care for people transitioning from the hospital to home.

Cigna has been at the forefront of the accountable care organization movement since 2008 and now has 114 Cigna Collaborative Care arrangements with large physician groups that span 28 states, reach more than 1.2 million commercial customers and encompass more than 48,000 doctors, including more than 23,000 primary care physicians and more than 25,000 specialists.

Cigna Collaborative Care is one component of the company's approach to physician engagement for health improvement, which also includes the innovative Cigna-HealthSpring® care model for Medicare customers. Today, more than 1.5 million Cigna and Cigna-HealthSpring customers benefit from nearly 280 engaged physician relationships across 31 states, with more than 79,000 doctors participating, including more than 33,000 primary care physicians and more than 46,000 specialists.

About Facey

Facey Medical Group is a multispecialty physician group which operates 11 clinics, including two urgent care centers and two full-service eye centers, in Northern Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Founded in 1923, Facey’s 178 physicians and their support staff care for the 178,000 patients who visit Facey clinics each year. Facey continues to be recognized for its commitment to provide innovative and effective care. From 2009 through 2014, readers of both the Los Angeles Daily News and the Santa Clarita Signal voted Facey the best medical group in the region. Facey also is recognized by the California Association of Physician Groups as one of twenty “Elite Performer” medical groups in Southern California. Facey Medical Foundation, the support organization for Facey Medical Group physicians, is now part of Providence Health & Services, an integrated, five-state network of hospitals, care centers, medical clinics, affiliated services and educational facilities.

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 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has approximately 85 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.