Seton Health Plan, Inc., and Cigna have entered into a joint venture agreement and unique collaboration to offer employers in and around Austin and Waco, Texas, integrated healthcare products designed to improve access, affordability and the patient experience.
Seton Health Plan’s insured and self-insured offerings will be available next year to employers with 51 or more employees within a 13-county area served by Austin-based Seton Healthcare Family and Waco-based Providence Healthcare Network, which comprise the Ascension Texas Ministry Market. The healthcare products will guide customers of Seton, Providence and affiliates through a more clinically integrated and cost-effective system of care designed to improve quality and patient outcomes, reduce duplication of services, and eliminate unnecessary costs.
Seton Health Plan and Cigna expect to make products available to employers by summer 2016.
“We recognize that healthcare is local, so our aim is to offer integrated products that will meet the needs of individuals who live and work in our area,” said Jeff Cook, President and CEO, Seton Insurance Services, and Vice President of Insurance and Value-Based Reimbursement for Ascension. “We’ll accomplish that with collaborative health plans that present more choices for affordable and personalized healthcare while maintaining our focus on clinical excellence.”
“This collaboration signals a fundamental shift in how organizations that finance and administer health plans engage with organizations that deliver healthcare,” said Mike Koehler, Market President for Cigna South Texas. “If we expect to drive better health, affordability and experience for the customers we jointly serve, we need to put the customer at the center of all we do through deeper collaboration between payers and providers. That’s the future of healthcare.”
The arrangement enables Seton, Providence and Cigna to combine health plan, hospital, clinic, provider and administrative capabilities in a unified effort to improve people’s lives, deliver long-term sustained medical cost savings, and create healthier communities. Drawing on the strengths of both organizations, the arrangement leverages Cigna's national and regional resources. This enables Seton Health Plan to focus its local resources on delivering high-quality, coordinated and affordable care and an exceptional customer experience.
The insurance products will emphasize wellness and prevention and will include a health assessment to identify people at risk for chronic conditions and other health issues. The information will guide development of workplace programs to address employees’ greatest needs. Individuals with chronic conditions will have access to caregivers able to coordinate their medical care, help them follow the physician’s care plan, explain treatment options, refer patients to appropriate community resources and help them improve their skills in managing their conditions. Employers can choose plans with a wellness rewards program and health coaching to reduce stress, obesity and smoking. Physicians in the plans will be rewarded for improving quality, efficiency and patient experience.
