Health plans Cigna and ConnectiCare said they have each signed collaborative agreements with Manchester’s Eastern Connecticut Health Network.
Under the separate arrangements, the health plans would reward ECHN doctors for improving health outcomes and keeping costs under control.
Patients with chronic conditions are most likely to see an immediate benefit, Cigna said, because a team of nurses and clinical case managers will help them better navigate the healthcare system.
‘Collaborative care’ contracts are Cigna’s version of accountable care. The difference is that accountable care organizations typically involve a broader array of provider groups and hospitals, a Cigna executive told HBJ last year.
Cigna’s deal with ECHN covers more than 7,000 patients and more than 240 ECHN doctors.
Cigna now has 11 such agreements across Connecticut. ConnectiCare has a dozen such arrangements.
