Dear Partners, Clinicians, and Staff:
This is a very exciting and momentous time for U.S. healthcare and HealthCare Partners. Whether you supported or opposed the health insurance reform out of Washington D.C., the fact is that the actions of last week have significantly changed the way health insurance and health delivery of care will evolve over the next few years. Among the most significant change is the coverage of millions of currently uninsured citizens over the next few years.
While like everything that is politically developed there are parts of the reform that we’d prefer to see done differently, HCP is well positioned and I believe flexible enough to be a very successful leader of the necessary changes coming our way.
Our biggest challenge will be the cuts in revenue we can expect in Medicare Advantage. It is clear that to retain our membership, improve the quality and service to our patients and maintain profitability in this program, we will need to continue to focus on accurate and well documented coding, efficient use of services including avoidable admissions and readmissions, and a strong commitment to measureable and transparent quality and satisfaction with our services, in order to qualify for the quality incentives that are new to the Medicare Advantage program.
Longer term we believe we are very well positioned to take advantage of the mandated demonstration of Accountable Care Organization pilots. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services ACO demonstrations will allow HCP to show the benefits of our integrated coordinated care model from both a quality and cost standpoint.
As for the February and year-to-date results, we continue to have good enrollment (e.g., senior membership is better than projected, and we are growing across the overwhelming majority of HCP sites/practices and with nearly all our health insurance plans). In addition, we have better than budgeted commercial utilization and better than budgeted results.
Once again, my gratitude and thanks go out to all our hard working clinicians and staff that live our vision and mission every day.
Sincerely,
