Maine's NovaHealth, Aetna partnership Lowers Cost by Stephanie Bouchard - Article Example

The article is from Healthcare Finance News and talks about the benefits gained from the partnership between Maine’s Nova Health and Aetna. The partnership has seen the growth of new health care models driven by the need to be patient-centered and provide accountable care so as to save money and improve health outcomes. According to the article, NovalHealth which is an independent physician association based in Portland, Maine partnered with Aetna in 2008 and created a care management program.

The program major achievement is cost savings resulting from decreased readmissions and emergency department usage. According to the article, such a partnership will lead to savings. The money saved can be used in improving reimbursement to primary care physicians. The article stipulates that such results can only be achieved when there is an implementation of several essentials. The two organizations had to adopt an electronic health record in order to facilitate data sharing and analysis. The communication and trust between the organizations is also vital for the success of the program.

The health plan requires the assurance that healthcare providers are delivering the highest quality services at the lowest possible cost. On the other hand, healthcare providers require health plan willingness to share with them accurate data.