Dive Brief:
- Aetna and Texas Health Resources announced Thursday plans for a jointly owned heath plan company that will target consumers in North Texas.
- The collaboration — the first of its kind in the region between a major insurer and a major health system — will combine fully integrated care teams, coverage benefits and administrative services to reduce redundancies and streamline the consumer experience, the companies said.
- This is Aetna’s second joint venture with a nonprofit health system. The carrier partnered with Inova Health System in Northern Virginia in 2014.
Dive Insight:
The new health plan will combine Aetna’s coverage expertise, case management capabilities and analytical insights with Texas Health’s provider network and population health management tools. Their goal is to provide high-quality, coordinated care at affordable prices, according to the press release.
Starting in January 2017, new fully insured and self-insured products will be offered to consumers and employers in 14 North Texas counties. Anchoring the plan will be Southwestern Health Resources, with a network of more than 500 physicians.
The announcement comes as insurers and providers are looking for more sustainable value-based models of care to accommodate the changing healthcare environment.
“By sharing accountability equally, Aetna and Texas Health will be able to streamline processes and eliminate inefficiencies that will lead to healthcare savings for consumers and employers in the form of more affordable premiums,” Michael Nelson, Aetna’s market president for Texas, said in a press release.
Earlier this week, Missouri became the first state to oppose the controversial megamerger of Aetna and Humana, concluding that the deal would be anti-competitive.