Elevance Health partners with private equity to boost primary care for 1M consumers
Elevance Health, which is the parent company of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Health insurance plans in 14 states, has partnered with a private equity firm, forging a new offering that will take a whole health approach to primary care.
The insurance giant and CD&R will bring together certain segments of Elevance’s Carelon Health division and the PE firm’s portfolio companies apree health and Millennium Physician Group, according to the announcement issued Monday. The new joint primary care model will seek to address each patient’s physical, social and behavioral health through a whole-person approach, the partners said.
The strategic partnership’s advanced primary care models take a whole health approach to address the physical, social, and behavioral health of every person. The foundation of the new advanced primary care offering will be stronger patient-provider relationships supported by data-driven insights, care coordination and referral management, and integrated health coaching. It will also leverage realigned incentives through value-based care agreements that enable care providers, assist individuals in leading healthier lives, and make care more affordable.
“We know that when primary care providers are resourced and empowered, they guide consumers through some of life’s most vulnerable moments, while helping people to take control of their own health,” said Bryony Winn, President of Health Solutions at Elevance Health. “By bringing a new model of advanced primary care to markets across the country, our partnership with CD&R will create a win-win for consumers and care providers alike.”
This strategic partnership marks the next step in Elevance Health’s journey to expand access to advanced primary care for consumers with coverage across Commercial, Individual Exchange, Medicaid, and Medicare health plans. Upon its formation, the payer-agnostic platform will serve nearly one million consumers. Carelon Health, apree health, and MPG offer unique strengths that together promise to improve individuals’ health and wellbeing, while helping care providers deliver higher quality care:
- apree health offers best-in-class digital navigation and clinical advocacy capabilities with advanced primary care to deliver better care outcomes and a unique patient experience while driving affordability;
- Carelon Health has 30 clinics that will support the strategic partnership’s ability to provide health care to high-risk members, including individuals with complex and chronic conditions; and
- MPG is a leading primary care centric platform serving nearly 900 health care providers across multiple states.
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“CD&R’s collaboration with Elevance Health is an important step in our ongoing investment focus to accelerate innovation in care delivery across the country,” said Clay Richards, CD&R Operating Partner. “We are excited to enter into this strategic partnership with Elevance Health and for what this effort can accomplish, drawing out the strengths of each of the three companies to improve the patient and physician experience for the communities they serve.”