- Easily shared, standardized measures will enhance patient
outcomes while driving consistency for clinicians
- 44,000 providers will participate in initial launch of
program
BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Oct. 6, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- To better align on quality care and reimburse
providers for delivering improved health outcomes, Evernorth Health
Services is launching an innovative measurement-based care program
for its behavioral health network. This represents the first step
in Evernorth's active collaboration with providers as the industry
looks to create meaningful, standardized metrics for behavioral
health care.
"Across the health care industry, we all understand the
importance of measurement, and delivering quality behavioral health
outcomes and care represents our next step in strengthening the
interventions for our patients and deepening our relationships with
providers," said Eva Borden,
president, behavioral health, Evernorth. "Right now, there is a
lack of consistent, repeatable measures – that are broadly agreed
upon – resulting in more administrative work, and less trust, from
our provider partners. This is the first step as we seek to
actively collaborate with providers, as enhancing the provider
experience is critical to the success of measurement-based care. We
are creating a program that will deliver best-in-class clinical
outcomes and multi-stakeholder affordability."
Measurement-based care, also referred to as value-based care,
has long existed for physical health but has not seen the same
adoption in behavioral health. In the journey toward behavioral
measurement-based care, providers and payers have used a variety of
measures, sharing them via spreadsheets or claims and document
submissions to understand quality. The goal of this new program is
to align on treatment measurements that can ultimately drive
improvements in care, cost, and collaboration, as well as remove
administrative burdens for providers.
"We are identifying the most important measurements at each
point in the patient journey and creating standard ways to capture
them," said Dr. Doug Nemecek, chief
medical officer, behavioral health, Evernorth. "Our ongoing
strategy involves building collaborations with key providers
committed to quality outcomes and creating, with their partnership,
interventions that will benefit patients, clients, and mental
health professionals alike."
As part of the program's initial launch, Evernorth will work
with over 44,000 providers, with plans to expand over time. The
providers include behavioral health coaches, therapists, and
prescribers who can help with a variety of mental health
conditions, including anxiety, depression, sleep disorders,
substance use disorders, and more. Evernorth has identified key
metrics for the program to ensure that customers have quick access
to high-quality care, including how long it takes a patient to get
an appointment, avoidance of a higher level of care, and total
cost-of-care savings. The program will add to these measures over
time as Evernorth engages with providers to align on best
metrics.
"By tracking this information, we can help move the needle
in partnership with our providers as we all work together to
improve care for the people we serve," Dr. Nemecek said. "We want
our providers to be focused on patient care and not on paperwork,
and we plan to incorporate measurement in ways that minimize the
administrative burdens and maximize the benefits for providers and
patients. By embedding shared metrics in the customer journey, both
payers and providers will develop insights into access and outcomes
that will benefit everyone."
About Evernorth Health Services
Evernorth Health Services creates pharmacy, care, and benefits
solutions to improve health and increase vitality. We relentlessly
innovate to make the prediction, prevention, and treatment of
illness and disease more accessible to millions of people.
Evernorth capabilities are powered by our businesses, including
Express Scripts, Express Scripts Pharmacy, Accredo, eviCore, and
MDLIVE, along with holistic Evernorth platforms and solutions that
move people and organizations forward. All Evernorth solutions are
serviced and provided by or through operating affiliates of
Evernorth Health, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Cigna Group
(NYSE: CI), or third-party partners. Learn more at
evernorth.com.
Media Contact
Kelly Mathews
423.260.9267
media@evernorth.com
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SOURCE Evernorth Health Services