Ochsner Health Network (OHN) announced that in 2017-2018, it achieved over $34 million in shared savings and $5.5 million in quality payments from its value-based agreements with two of Louisiana’s largest commercial health insurers. The organization achieved its largest shared savings to date in recognition of the significant improvements in patient outcomes and quality care measures its physicians delivered in 2017-2018. These results add to recent success with senior populations generated by the Ochsner Accountable Care Network (OACN).
“We are proud to share these outstanding results that reflect the resources and efforts that OHN and its participating physicians have put into delivering the most effective care models,” said Ochsner Health Network President David Carmouche. “Our success in 2018 continues OHN’s precedent of providing the highest quality of care available and proves that the best healthcare outcomes can be paired with significant cost savings.”
2018 brought significant growth and milestones to the organization, including:
-Exceeded the National Quality Compass 90th percentile in breast cancer screening rates, with a network-wide compliance rate of 81 percent.
-Improved outcomes for patients with hypertension by controlling blood pressure for 75 percent of patients with the disease, up from 68 percent in 2017.
-Increased network of employed and independent physicians to more than 2,600.
-Increased number of at-risk lives cared for by OHN physicians by 55 percent to more than 245,000.
-Managed annual healthcare spending of more than $1 billion across Louisiana, including providing the appropriate utilization of services.
-Announced partnership with Walmart to form the Ochsner Accountable Care Plan.
-Launched Blue Connect Network in partnership with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Revenue from shared savings and quality payments is used to invest in infrastructure and to reward physician practices for their additional focus on keeping patients healthy and providing efficient, high-value care. OHN providers reduced the total cost of care for its patient populations by emphasizing preventive care, improving the control of chronic conditions, focusing efforts on reducing avoidable emergency department visits and hospital readmissions, and developing programs that target improved care management for its most vulnerable patients.