Patient-Centered Medical Homes Improve Access and Quality of Care

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA--(Marketwire - Sep 2, 2011) - Amerigroup Corporation (NYSE: AGP) is working with hundreds of physicians in six states on a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) pilot program that is helping doctors improve access and quality of care for their patients.

According to the latest Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC) report, Amerigroup currently ranks 8^th nationally for the number of providers participating in the PCMH pilot program, and is the only plan in the top ten that is solely dedicated to serving public beneficiaries. Amerigroup's PCMH strategy requires focused, on-the-ground training and collaboration with its providers, and is creating an innovative delivery system for its members in an effort to produce better outcomes, higher quality care and lower costs.

Amerigroup Chief Operating Officer Richard Zoretic remarked, "Amerigroup's Patient Centered Medical Home initiative is a natural extension of our larger Provider Collaboration strategy designed to deepen our relationships with those physicians offering the best combination of clinical quality and affordable care. We look forward to introducing the PCMH model to additional providers as part of our ongoing effort to improve the quality and efficiency of care delivered to our members."

"Our partnership with Amerigroup has increased our efficiency and patient compliance, making us more effective in the communities we serve," said Dr. Melvin Lightford of the Metro Center Health Group in Nashville, Tennessee. "Thanks to the patient-centered medical home, our patients are able to get the access they need, we are able to better deliver the appropriate primary care preventative treatments and keep our patients out of the emergency room. We have enjoyed working with Amerigroup on this pilot program over the past year and look forward to our continued partnership."

In Nashville alone, approximately 40,000 Amerigroup members are participating in a PCMH. With a strong focus on provider collaboration and continuity of care, this initiative is improving quality and access for thousands of members, while reducing non-emergent E.R. visits and hospital readmissions. For example, the Metro Center Health Group in Nashville has decreased its patients' ER visits by 7% for the first six months of 2011 versus the same period in 2010.

Dr. William G. Runyon, Chief Medical Officer for Amerigroup Tennessee said, "With many patients seeking most of their medical care in emergency rooms, we have had a real challenge controlling costs and improving quality care." Dr. Runyon added, "By using the PCMH model to facilitate a stronger relationship between primary care providers and their patients, we have seen significant improvements in our providers' abilities to reduce ER visits and hospital admissions, ultimately resulting in better outcomes for our members."

Pediatrician Jeffeory H. White, M.D., is one of Amerigroup's newest partners in the Georgia PCMH pilot program. Dr. White remarked, "Part of our mission statement at White's Pediatrics is to promote 'the optimum physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being' of every pediatric patient. I am proud to be able to work with Amerigroup to take White's Pediatrics in this new and exciting direction."

Amerigroup is on track to have 42 practice sites and close to 500 providers participating in medical home models in six states by the end of 2011; Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas and Nevada, with plans to expand to additional health plans in 2012.

Additional Information...
Release in PDF Format
Medical Home Fact Sheet

About Amerigroup Corporation
Amerigroup, a Fortune 500 Company, coordinates services for individuals in publicly funded health care programs. Serving approximately 2 million members in 11 states nationwide, Amerigroup accepts all eligible people regardless of age, sex, race or disability. Amerigroup is dedicated to offering real solutions that improve health care access and quality for its members, while proactively working to reduce the overall cost of care to taxpayers. Click here for more information about Amerigroup Corporation.