Belong Health Approved by CMS for the ACO REACH Program in New York

Company to help improve quality of care for underserved Medicare beneficiaries in most competitive CMMI program to date

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Belong Health, a company dedicated to advancing patient-centered healthcare and reducing the cost of caring for underserved and complex populations, today announced Belong Health was provisionally approved for the ACO REACH program.

The Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (ACO REACH) Model is a new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) program that aims to improve the quality of care for people with Medicare. As a value-based program, ACO REACH focuses on improving health outcomes, health equity and improving care coordination for underserved populations.

“Too many people from historically underserved communities do not receive the quality of care they should expect,” said Belong Health CEO J. Patrick Foley. “As an ACO REACH participant, we understand the importance of partnering with local providers to serve these populations through innovative, individualized support.”

Belong Health was initially formed in 2021 to partner with providers and regional dual-eligible special needs plans (D-SNPs) under the Medicare Advantage program. The company is now leveraging that experience to serve Medicare FFS beneficiaries. Belong Health supplements existing care infrastructure with virtual and community-based resources to care for every member – even those that are historically hard to reach. The team includes operators, clinicians, registered nurses, licensed clinical social workers, and community health workers with extensive experience serving high-needs populations.

The company’s model delivers results above the industry average, including initial patient engagement rates greater than 70% and health risk assessment completion rates greater than 50%, and current beneficiaries with multiple prior ER visits for polychronic diseases have avoided additional inpatient admissions.

“We look forward to advancing health equity by locking arms with physicians, and community health providers throughout the state of New York,” said Foley.

With a less than 50% acceptance rate into the ACO REACH program, this launch marks the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation’s most competitive application process in its 12-year history.

About Belong Health

Belong Health delivers a more compassionate, straightforward insurance experience for Medicare-eligible members by partnering with regional health plans to help them launch or grow market-leading Medicare Advantage and Special Needs Plans. High-quality health care should be accessible to all, and local, regional health plans are best positioned to serve their communities as their trusted health insurance partners. www.belong-health.com.

The statements contained in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CMS. The authors assume complete responsibility of the information contained in this document.

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Source: Belong Health