Bloomfield health insurer Cigna says its “collaborative care” contracts with Connecticut physician groups are reducing costs and helping doctors better track patients with chronic conditions.
Cigna said its contracts with Prohealth Physicians, Community Medical Group and Day Kimball Healthcare have helped to reduce costly emergency-room visits through the use of urgent care clinics and other care settings. Providers have also sought to refer patients in need of costly advanced imaging to “preferred providers” who charge less, Cigna said.
The contracts are similar to accountable-care organizations in that providers are rewarded for hitting cost and quality benchmarks.
New Haven-based CMG has reduced ER visits by 10 percent, while Farmington-based ProHealth has seen a 7 percent reduction the insurer said. Meanwhile, Day Kimball has reduced avoidable ER visits by 9 percent.
