Allies will be available in 65 communities in and around Boston starting on October 1.
Newton-Wellesley Hospital (NWH), AllWays Health Partners (AHP), and Mass General Brigham (MGB) announced the launch of "Allies" Thursday afternoon, a high-performance network (HPN) involving the three Boston-area organizations.
Allies will be offered through AHP and built around NWH, a nonprofit teaching hospital based in Newton, Massachusetts that is part of MGB and affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School.
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The organizations stated that patients with "more complex medical needs" will be able to access MGB hospitals through Allies. Additionally, employers can expect to save 20% by enrolling in Allies compared to AHP's full network plans.
"We are proud to introduce this offering that focuses squarely on the needs of those living in our community—and promises high-quality primary and specialty care, convenience and lower costs, with an outstanding experience," Errol R. Norwitz, MD, PhD, MBA, president of NWH, said in a statement. "This is what our community wants and deserves."
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As part of Allies, patients will be supported by health navigators that "manage interactions such as choosing or changing PCPs and scheduling both in-person and telehealth appointments."
Another aspect of the collaboration is a boost to virtual care options, as Allies HMO members will be able to access NWH's virtual PCP group.
Additionally, the organizations stated that through Allies, member insurance cost sharing information, like copays and deductibles, will be uploaded to MGB's patient registration system and web portal.
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MGB stated that it views Allies as an extension of the organization's commitment to driving value-based care options, citing the ongoing five-year strategic plan laid out by CEO Anne Klibanski, MD last year.
"This new product represents what makes Mass General Brigham unique in the healthcare market. Our goal is to provide very personal patient support and convenient care from one primary hospital," Gregg Meyer, MD, CCO of MGB, said in a statement. "By taking what we’ve learned about population health and turning it into an effective employer-based health plan offering, we can offer members a choice about how they want to access their primary care—in person or virtual—something that is even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic and part of a new healthcare experience."
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Allies will be available in 65 communities in and around Boston starting on October 1.
Jack O'Brien is the Content Team Lead and Finance Editor at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.