PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Cigna (CI) and Banner Health Network are launching a collaborative accountable care initiative to expand patient access to health care, improve care coordination, and achieve the triple aim of improved health outcomes (quality), lower total medical costs and increased patient satisfaction.

Collaborative accountable care is Cigna's approach to accomplishing the same population health goals as accountable care organizations, or ACOs. The program will benefit over 20,000 individuals covered by a Cigna health plan who receive care from among approximately 2,600 doctors affiliated with Banner Health Network in Arizona.

This collaboration between Cigna and Banner Health is an example of how we are fundamentally changing the way we deliver health care, by putting greater emphasis on outcomes, said Chuck Lehn, chief executive officer for Banner Health Network. What matters most to our physicians is ensuring that our patients receive well-coordinated care that helps them live healthier, more productive lives. This model allows us to attain that level of care, while keeping the cost of medicine affordable.

Under the program, Banner Health Network doctors monitor and coordinate all aspects of an individuals medical care. Patients continue to go to their current physician and automatically receive the benefits of the program. Individuals who are enrolled in a Cigna health plan and later choose to seek care from a doctor in the medical group will also have access to the benefits of the program. There are no changes in any plan requirements regarding referrals to specialists. Patients most likely to see the immediate benefits of the program are those who need help managing chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease.

We are pleased to expand our collaborative accountable care program in Arizona through this initiative with Banner Health Network, said Stephanie Gorman, president and general manager for Cigna in Arizona. We share a commitment to prevention, improving health care quality and changing the health care delivery system from one that focuses on volume to one that focuses on quality of care and value.

Critical to the programs benefits are registered nurses, employed by Banner Health Network, who serve as clinical care coordinators and help patients with chronic conditions or other health challenges navigate the health care system. The care coordinators are aligned to a team of Cigna case managers to ensure a high degree of collaboration between Banner Health Network and Cigna that ultimately results in a better experience for the individual.

The care coordinators will enhance care by using patient-specific data from Cigna to help identify patients being discharged from the hospital who might be at risk for readmission, as well as patients who may be overdue for important health screenings or who may have skipped a prescription refill. The care coordinators are part of the physician-led care team that helps patients get the follow-up care or screenings they need, identify any issues related to medications and help prevent chronic conditions from worsening.

Care coordinators can also help patients schedule appointments, provide health education and refer patients to Cigna's clinical programs, such as disease management programs for diabetes, heart disease and other conditions; and lifestyle management programs, such as programs for tobacco cessation, weight management and stress management.

This newest initiative, which takes effect November 1, 2012, builds on Cigna's collaborative accountable care efforts locally, including those of Cigna Medical Group, the Phoenix-based multi-specialty practice division of Cigna HealthCare of Arizona. Cigna Medical Groups strong focus on the patient and improved care coordination resulted in 24 percent lower avoidable emergency room visits, 14 percenthigher adult preventive care and 8 to 10 percent lower total medical costs in 2011 compared to the Phoenix market. Cigna Medical Group doctors consistently receive patient satisfactions scores of 93% or higher.

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Cigna and Banner Health Network Join in Collaborative Accountable Care Effort in Arizona