Alliance of Community Health Plans: Nonprofit Health Plans Report Initiatives and Progress Toward Affordable Coverage and Care

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (TNSRes) -- The Alliance of Community Health Plans issued the following news release on Nov. 10, 2021:

As prices continue to soar across the health care system, the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) remains committed to delivering high-value coverage and care to consumers. Today, ACHP releases its inaugural Report on Affordability, highlighting initiatives and proven successes in the last year to reduce health care costs in communities across the country.

ACHP committed in Health Care 2030: ACHP's Roadmap to Reform to report annually on practices and progress toward more affordable coverage and care: When health plans manage premiums, provide enhanced benefits, innovate to deliver access to high-quality care and reduce costs for governments and employers, the system -- and outcomes -- improve.

"ACHP members' unique provider partnerships and decades of experience in their communities drive their investment in the value of each dollar spent on health care," said ACHP President and CEO Ceci Connolly. "Particularly during a public health emergency that has limited access to care for many Americans, we're proud of our members' fierce commitment to improving affordability through tangible, evidence-based solutions -- all while enhancing quality and improving the consumer experience."

Key findings from ACHP's 2021 Report on Affordability include the following. ACHP members:

* Reduced or held flat insurance premiums, with some member companies reducing premiums by as much as 10 percent.

* Added new or expanded existing health benefits without increasing costs to consumers.

* Moved acute and recovery services out of the expensive hospital setting and into the home, generating savings and improved patient satisfaction.

* Offered useful price transparency tools, which enable consumers to shop by price, personalized benefits and services.

* Expanded telehealth, improving affordable access to care, including three plans that launched first-of-their-kind virtual-first insurance products for premium savings of up to 20 percent.

Priority Health President Praveen Thadani, whose plan introduced virtual-first offerings with reduced premium costs, said, "Innovation is what drives our industry forward, and we are proud to have been among the first in the country to launch a successful and unique virtual-first product. Moving forward, our team will continue to expand our virtual-first products and will remain focused on affordability. Our goal is to ensure that as many people as possible have access to high quality and affordable care."

The 2021 Report on Affordability includes examples of ACHP member companies' innovative approaches to drive quality and patient satisfaction. By creating flexible products to meet consumer needs, using technology to streamline existing processes and bringing services to the patient -- at home or in the community -- ACHP members demonstrate their commitment to delivering higher-value coverage and care.

"At the core of our mission is providing affordable, accessible, high-quality care to our patients. The ability to implement innovative, patient-centered models of care through partnerships with their clinical delivery teams is a hallmark of ACHP member plans," said Marshfield Clinic Health System CEO Dr. Susan Turney. "Our Home Recovery Care program is a perfect example of creating and implementing a program that is financially sustainable, and measurably improves patient experience, satisfaction, health outcomes and reduces the likelihood of re-admittance."