PHILADELPHIA, Pa., May 19, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a shared commitment to improve quality and reduce the cost of health care in southeastern Pennsylvania, Independence Blue Cross (Independence) and Jefferson Health (Jefferson) announced that they have reached an agreement on a new multi-year contract for TJUH System that demonstrates a strong collaboration between the region's leading health insurance organization and one of the area's largest health care systems.
"At Independence Blue Cross we are pleased to partner with the 'new' Jefferson to do more, do it differently, and to do it better," said Independence President and CEO Daniel J. Hilferty. "Working with a best-in-class health care system like Jefferson we will achieve our shared goal: to change for the better the lives and health of people in our region. Through Independence's innovative models of care that improve quality and decrease costs we can streamline our members' health care experience and give them the tools to navigate pathways to good health."
Independence and Jefferson have a longstanding relationship and Jefferson was among the first health systems to implement Independence's innovative accountable care payment model. This model, now in its 5th year, rewards hospitals and physicians that provide better coordinated, higher quality, and more cost-effective care. In the new agreement, Jefferson has renewed its commitment to the program, which has been adopted by more than 90 percent of the region's health systems.
"Jefferson is excited to further its relationship with Independence Blue Cross," said Stephen K. Klasko, M.D., M.B.A, President and CEO of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health. "Quality, efficiency and innovation are at the heart of Jefferson's mission and we look forward to collaborating with Independence to transform the way healthcare is delivered in Southeastern Pennsylvania."
The new agreement, which will go into effect on July 1, 2015, offers Independence members access to covered services at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital- Center City, and Methodist Hospital and Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience and their subsidiaries, affiliates and divisions.
About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. With our affiliates, we serve 9.5 million people in 24 states and the District of Columbia, including 2.5 million in the region. For nearly 80 years, we have been enhancing the health and wellness of the people and communities we serve by delivering innovative and competitively priced health care products and services; pioneering new ways to reward doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals for coordinated, quality care; and supporting programs and events that promote wellness. To learn more visit www.ibx.com. Connect with us on Facebook at ibx.com/facebook and on Twitter at @ibx. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
About Jefferson
Our newly formed organization, Jefferson, encompasses Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University, representing our clinical and academic entities. Together, the people of Jefferson, 19,000 strong, provide the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients, educate the health professionals of tomorrow, and discover new treatments and therapies that will define the future of health care.
Jefferson Health comprises five hospitals, 13 outpatient and urgent care centers, as well as physician practices and everywhere we deliver care throughout the city and suburbs across Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks Counties in Pa., and Camden County in New Jersey. Together, these facilities serve more than 78,000 inpatients, 238,000 emergency patients and 1.7 million outpatient visits annually. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is the largest freestanding academic medical center in Philadelphia. Abington Hospital is the largest community teaching hospital in Montgomery or Bucks counties. Other hospitals include Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience in Center City Philadelphia; Methodist Hospital in South Philadelphia; and Abington-Lansdale Hospital in Hatfield Township.
Thomas Jefferson University enrolls more than 3,900 future physicians, scientists, nurses and healthcare professionals in the Sidney Kimmel Medical College (SKMC); Jefferson Schools of Health Professions, Nursing, Pharmacy, Population Health; and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and is home of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
For more information and a complete listing of Jefferson services and locations, visit www.jefferson.edu.