December 1, 2020
By Farzad Mostashari
When Aledade launched in June of 2014, we were a small, passionate staff fundamentally committed to a big idea: that independent primary care providers were uniquely positioned to help lead the biggest shift in the American health care system in more than a generation. We believed that if these doctors received practice support, technology, analytics, and regulatory expertise from a true partner, they could reassume their role at the center of their patients’ care – delivering the highest-quality care while bringing down costs across the health care system.
By the beginning of this year, we had partnered with 80 primary care doctors across four states, taking accountability for the care of more than 20,000 Medicare patients. Throughout 2015, we helped these physicians increase vaccinations and preventive care for their patients, decrease hospitalizations, and make investments that will keep patients healthier for years to come. We equipped these doctors with customized platforms that tie together EHR and Medicare claims data, enable them to connect with their high-risk patients, and provide instant notifications when their patients are admitted, discharged, or transferred between care facilities.
But we knew that 2015 would simply be the start.
So today, we are proud to announce that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has officially recognized five new Aledade ACOs:
• A Kansas-based ACO contracting with Kansas Foundation for Medical Care, Inc. for practice support
• A West Virginia-based ACO, centered around Charleston, in partnership with the West Virginia Medical Institute
• A Central Florida-focused ACO, partnering with Primary Health Partners LLC
• A Louisiana-based ACO, in partnership with the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum
• A Mississippi and Tennessee-based ACO, partnering with the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians, Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, and Q Source
Beginning January 1, 2016 – less than 18 months after we started this journey – our team grew to include more than 700 physicians in over 110 practices, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and Rural Health Centers (RHCs) across 11 states. We are now responsible for nearly 100,000 Medicare patients, and more than $1 billion in health care expenditures.
In the year and a half since we founded this company, the health care system has accelerated its shift towards outcome-based health care. Early last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) set a goal of tying 50 percent of fee-for-service Medicare payments to quality or value through alternative payment models by the end of 2018. It was the first time in the history of the Medicare program that HHS has set explicit goals for alternative payment models and value-based payments. In April, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act set a foundation for Medicare’s outcome-focused future. Today, seven in 10 Americans live in an area served by an ACO.
As policy tailwinds have delivered additional momentum, we’ve continued to grow our team and doubled (and tripled) down on our emphasis on preventive care, our development of customized technology for Aledade practices, and the uniquely aligned financial partnership we have with our physicians.
In 2016, we will continue to expand initiatives that have already helped improve our doctors’ practices:
• Care management interventions for specific chronic conditions.
• Behavioral health interventions to support patients battling depression and anxiety.
• Tools and approaches to help ensure patients get the care that aligns with their personal goals at end of life.
• Skilled nursing facility (SNF) transition strategies to ensure patients receive effective care in a SNF and safely return home.
In 2014, Accountable Care Organizations saved Medicare nearly a billion dollars while improving on 80 percent of CMS quality measures – and most observers agree that both the quality and savings effects of these organizations will only grow as ACOs mature. Recent surveys have confirmed what doctors across the country already know – the health care industry’s move towards value-based payment is now inexorable. The question for most physicians – especially those in small, independent practices – is how to navigate this new health care economy.
Aledade was founded to provide an answer – and a resource – for these very doctors. Today’s CMS announcement proves that the appetite for our model, our team, and our services continues to grow. So too does our commitment to our practices and their patients. As we move into next year, our greater scale will enable us to draw more insights about the best way to keep health care costs down and the health of our patients up.