PHP to open primary care center for members this fall

A Fort Wayne health insurance provider is partnering with a health care provider to open a primary care center that will serve the insurance company's policyholders, officials announced Thursday.

Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana, often referred to as PHP, and Premise Health expect to open the center this fall.

The Premise Health center will serve employer groups and their members with certain types of Physicians Health Plan insurance. The new health center will be at 10006 Auburn Park Drive, which is near Dupont Hospital.

"The center, which will serve fully insured employer populations, is a critical first step toward bringing Indiana employers a value-based health care delivery model that aligns outcomes with costs," Physicians Health Plan said in a news release.

The primary care center will offer employers and members a plan with exclusive primary care access. The center is being created to expand health care access, improve quality and enhance experiences for PHP members, the release said.

Gary Shearer, Physicians Health Plan president and CEO, said providing convenient access to quality care is a top priority for the company.

"This center will take the patient experience to the next level with ease in seeing a provider and the opportunity to build a true partnership with a care team for lasting healthy outcomes," he said in a statement.

The move to combine exclusive primary care into a health plan product reflects a national shift toward health care within the commercial health insurance industry, the release said.

Premise Health will partner with Physicians Health Plan to improve the health outcomes of the fully insured member population under a fixed-fee payment model.

The center will offer primary care, behavioral health services, chronic condition management, biometric screenings, referral management, women's health and provider-dispensed medications.

Physicians Health Plan and Premise Health will consider opening additional centers if the pilot location proves successful, officials said.

Beth Ratliff, Premise Health chief operating officer, said improving primary care access is one of the most important actions an organization can do to improve health care outcomes.

"We look forward to bringing PHP employers and members the type of integrated, whole-person health care that breaks down barriers, closes care gaps, and – ultimately – changes lives," she said in a statement.