A coalition of healthcare organizations in California have signed a memorandum of understanding to commit to the California Advanced Primary Care Initiative — a plan to transition primary care practices throughout the state to a value-based delivery and payment model.
Five payers signed the MOU: Aetna, Blue Shield of California, Health Net, Oscar and UnitedHealthcare. Aledade, a consulting company that helps primary care practices create accountable care organizations, also signed the agreement, according to a July 26 news release shared with Becker's.
The agreement commits to four main tenets:
- Transparency: Payers will report how much they invest in and adopt the new model
- Payment: Adopt a value-based payment model that supports the initiative's goals
- Investment: Set goals for primary care investment without raising costs
- Practice transformation: Support primary care practices with implementing the new model
The new model is centered around whole-person care, integration of behavioral and physical services and better health outcomes. The effort is being led by the nonprofit Purchaser Business Group on Health and the Integrated Healthcare Association, which have been meeting since 2019 to develop performance standards and a payment model for the initiative.
"This initiative reflects our understanding that the impact of any one payer alone is limited," Peter Long, PhD, executive vice president of strategy and health solutions at Blue Shield of California, said. "That's why Blue Shield is committed to partnering with our peer payers and providers to scale delivery of high-quality primary care across the state."