MedStar, CareFirst Launch Value-based Care Partnership

The partnership aims to save $400 million over the next seven years using proactive care and improving access to care for minority communities.

Maryland's CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and MedStar Health said Wednesday their partnering to create a value-based collaborative that will emphasize cost-effective preventive care.

"This partnership between MedStar Health and CareFirst allows for creativity, innovation and unprecedented collaboration between our two organizations to help transform healthcare," said Kenneth A. Samet, president and CEO of MedStar Health.

"Working together to remove barriers and solve challenges will provide our patients with more convenient access to manage their health and experience better outcomes, while helping to make care more affordable," Samet said. "This important new partnership will benefit the communities we already serve together.”

The partnership between Maryland's largest not-for-profit health system and largest non-for-profit health insurer, which will be led by a joint management team, aims to improve affordability, accessibility, quality, and patient experience while also reducing care costs by $400 million over the next seven years.

In particular, the partners said they will focus on removing disparities in care access for minority communities.

CareFirst President and CEO, Brian D. Pieninck noted that the health insurer and MedStar serve the same region and the same people and "have a shared responsibility to ensure members and employers are getting maximum value for their healthcare dollar."

"Through this unique partnership, we will help to transform the healthcare landscape to deliver on our shared missions to increase access to quality, affordable care," Pieninck said.

CareFirst provides coverage and administrative services to 3.3 million people in Maryland.  

MedStar has 10 hospitals and more than 300 care venues across Maryland, with 4,700 affiliated physicians and 30,000 employees.