CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and Aledade Forge Strategic Alliance in a Win for Value-Based Care

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) and Aledade, Inc. (Aledade) announced today the formation of a strategic alliance, connecting CareFirst member physicians with Aledade’s tools and resources that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of independent primary-care physicians.

Aledade helps independent primary care physicians improve patient health, helps independent practices thrive, and reduces health care costs across the entire system.

This new agreement will enable physician practices in CareFirst’s network to access the services of Aledade’s team of specialists, including onsite business support for physician practices, a technology platform that works with more than one hundred different EHRs, and health care regulatory and policy expertise.

Aledade also helps empower participating practices to focus on patient access and preventive care. To date, the company has helped save more than $1.2 billion across the health care system through more preventive care – improving health by helping patients avoid tens of thousands of unnecessary hospitalizations and visits to the Emergency Department.

“The data clearly shows us that healthier outcomes for patients are directly influenced by the relationship people share with their primary care doctors,” said Brian D. Pieninck, President and CEO of CareFirst. “Partnering with Aledade to bring their services to CareFirst providers is a crucial step toward building a prevention-based, whole-health approach to healthcare.”

Practices led by physicians can help their patients avoid hospitalizations at higher rates. A 2019 analysis of Medicare data showed that, on average, physician-led Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) produced almost 7 times the amount of savings per beneficiary than hospital-led ACOs.

“When we put clinicians back in charge, patients, practices, and society as a whole see the results,” said Aledade co-founder and CEO Farzad Mostashari, MD. “CareFirst has created a model risk arrangement that creates long-term alignment and sustainability in service to patients and their entire communities. When we can give clinicians the means to keep their patients healthy and out of the hospital, everybody benefits.”

“Through this strategic alliance, we look forward to seeing improved health outcomes and lower cost trends, as these are the core principles of value-based care,” said Pieninck.