Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and DaVita's VillageHealth signed a value-based agreement for members with chronic kidney disease or end-stage kidney disease.
A key aspect of the collaboration is preventing hospitalizations in members with end-stage kidney disease. Similar models to the one BCBS of Minnesota and VillageHealth are pursuing have lowered hospital admissions for patients with kidney disease by about 30 percent, the organizations said in an April 12 news release.
Better outcomes and lower costs for patients will come by working with nephrologists and primary care physicians to improve care coordination for members, the organizations said. The program will also focus on prevention and using predictive analytics to evaluate which members may be the most at risk for kidney illnesses. Medication management and diet support are also parts of the program.