Louisiana Physicians Earn More Than $3.4 Million in Bonus Payments for Improving Health Outcomes for UnitedHealthcare Medicaid Members

249 physician practices statewide recognized for delivering quality
patient care

NEW ORLEANS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Louisiana awarded more than $3.4
million in bonus payments to 249 physician practices statewide for
improving the quality of care for people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare’s
Medicaid plans.

Physicians earning bonuses achieved the highest levels for key quality
measures during a six-month period in 2015. These include conducting
preventive health screenings; helping patients become more informed and
engaged in their health care decisions; and focusing on quality
performance metrics that the state has identified for the Medicaid
program, such as adolescent well visits, diabetic screenings and eye
exams.

For example, one physician practice in Shreveport exceeded targets and
improved patient access to health services, as illustrated by the
following three performance measures that are from metrics set by the
state Medicaid program:

• Adolescent well-care: Six months into the partnership, more
  than 70 percent of patients had their well-check, 17 percent above the
  state target.
• Child well care: 83.5 percent of children ages 3 to 5 received
  well care, 8.5 percent above the state target.
• Chlamydia screening in women: Nearly 72 percent of women were
  screened for chlamydia, 13 percent above the state target.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) administers the
Bayou Health Medicaid program, through which UnitedHealthcare operates
as a Louisiana Medicaid managed care organization (MCO). Dr. Rebekah
Gee, DHH secretary, says using incentive programs such as
UnitedHealthcare’s is a best practice that improves the quality of
clinical care while driving down overall costs.

“We are excited that our Bayou Health plan partners are measuring the
performance and outcomes of their physicians,” said Dr. Gee. “These
incentive payments are examples of the effectiveness of value-based
purchasing, and they show how, in partnership with UnitedHealthcare and
the other MCOs, Bayou Health is reengineering health care delivery in
Louisiana in a way that improves the care provided to Louisianans
enrolled in Medicaid.”

More than 75 percent of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan members in
Louisiana are accessing care from a physician practice that has earned a
bonus under these programs. UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Louisiana
serves more than 290,000 Medicaid plan participants statewide.

“As we move to value-based reimbursement in Louisiana, physicians need a
good partner to help them realize the quality and cost-effective
medicine that is required to succeed,” said Keith M. Perrin, M.D.,
Children’s Pediatrics in New Orleans. “Success means delivering quality
medicine with better patient outcomes. It is key to remember that
overutilization of health care services can occasionally be harmful to
patients.”

“Thousands of UnitedHealthcare Medicaid plan participants statewide
receive quality, compassionate care from hundreds of physicians who
deliver more personalized and better connected care,” said Dr. Ann Kay
Logarbo, medical director, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Louisiana.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to recognize and reward Louisiana
physicians for embracing the value-based care model and helping Medicaid
members live healthier lives.”

These programs are part of UnitedHealthcare’s efforts to help shift the
nation’s health care system to a value-based care model that rewards the
quality of patients’ health outcomes and has the potential to reduce
overall costs.

Care providers nationwide are showing strong interest in a shift to
value-based care. UnitedHealthcare’s total payments to physicians and
hospitals that are tied to value-based arrangements have tripled in the
last three years to $45 billion. By the end of 2018, UnitedHealthcare
expects that figure to reach $65 billion.

For more information about UnitedHealthcare’s full spectrum of
value-based initiatives, visit http://www.uhc.com/valuebasedcare.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare
is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by
simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and
wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care
providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit
programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees
and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and
contracts directly with more than 1 million physicians and care
professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide.
UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:
UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more
information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com
or follow @myUHC on Twitter.

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Contacts

UnitedHealthcare
Kristen Hellmer, 602-255-8466
kristen_hellmer@uhc.com