Insurance company Aetna said Tuesday it has joined with a University of Maryland physicians group to better coordinate patient care in a partnership it hopes will improve health outcomes and lower costs.
Under the three-year partnership, 24,000 people enrolled in Aetna commercial and small business plans will get teams of doctors from the University of Maryland Quality Care Network who will work together to provide each patient with more comprehensive care. The network is made up of more than 320 doctors and the patients will come from 14 counties in Maryland.
Aetna hopes the collaboration will help better manage patient's chronic conditions and decrease unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital readmissions. The insurance company also hopes to better use technology to assess patient health needs.
"Aetna is committed to working with health care organizations nationwide to provide services that support value-driven, patient-centered care," said Michael Bucci, executive director of Aetna's Capitol Market, in a statement. "We're excited for this new collaboration with UMQCN, which is known for its comprehensive approach to population health and the coordination of patient care across all settings."
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