Empire BlueCross BlueShield Joins National Comprehensive Primary Care Plus Initiative

Empire will participate in the multi-payer program in the North
Hudson-Capital Region sponsored and administered by CMS’ Center for
Medicare and Medicaid Innovation

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Empire BlueCross BlueShield has been selected as a payer participant in
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Comprehensive Primary Care
Plus (CPC+) initiative, a five-year multi-payer model that’s the largest
federal investment in primary care transformation to date.

“Empire’s involvement in CPC+ reflects our belief in the important role
that the primary care doctor can play as caregiver and navigator by
providing physicians with actionable information, tools and value-based
payments that reward physicians for improved quality, patient experience
and affordability,” said Larry Schreiber, president and CEO, Empire
BlueCross BlueShield.

Empire currently participates in the Capital District-Hudson Valley
Region Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative (CPCi), a pilot that
launched in 2012 and will sunset at the end of 2016. CPC+ represents an
opportunity to build on the success of CPCi along with the other
value-based, patient-centered care programs that Empire has grown over
the last four years under its provider collaboration work, known as
Togetherworks.

“Empire has demonstrated our commitment to payment innovation and
provider collaboration and transformation,” added Schreiber. “Empire’s
selection as a payer participant in CPC+ presents an opportunity to
collaborate with CMS, providers and other payers to continue to shift
our delivery system to one that rewards quality and value.”

Empire works with nearly 10,200 providers across New York under its own
value-based, patient-centered care program. By 2018, Empire and its
affiliated health plans in 13 other states aim to have more than half of
their combined spending in alternative payment models rather than
traditional fee for service arrangements.

Building on the medical home concept, CPC+ intentionally aligns
multi-payer payment reform with practice transformation, holding
practices accountable for total cost of care and improved quality. Under
this initiative, practices will be able to engage in systematic data
sharing and collaborative learning experiences and will also have an
opportunity to share savings achieved. CMS sought to collaborate with
other payers in 20 markets and will work with health information
technology vendors to provide products to advanced CPC+ practices.

New York providers who want to participate in CPC+ must apply to CMS and
will be announced later this year.

About Empire BlueCross BlueShield

Serving New Yorkers for 80 years, Empire BlueCross BlueShield is the
largest health insurer in New York supporting more than four million
members and more than 38,000 business, union and small employers in New
York. Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) is the trade name of Empire
HealthChoice Assurance, Inc., and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO is
the trade name of Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc., independent licensees
of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, serving residents and
businesses in the 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York
State. Additional information about Empire is available at www.empireblue.com.
Also, follow us on Twitter at @empirebcbs.

Contacts

Empire BlueCross BlueShield
Media Contact:
Sally
Kweskin, 212-476-1421
sally.kweskin@empireblue.com
@empirebcbs