Aetna, OHC Form Oncology Medical Home in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky

Cancer patients in greater Cincinnati and northern Kentucky will have access to improved care following the announcement today by OHC and Aetna (NYSE: AET) to create an oncology medical home. It will be the first of its kind in the greater Cincinnati area, and one of three in Ohio for Aetna.

This value-based approach allows teams of cancer specialists to collaborate on the diagnosis of a cancer patient at all stages of their life. The model will give OHC the responsibility to arrange appropriate care that is continuous and proactive and physicians will be incentivized for improved health, affordability and a better patient experience.

The oncology medical home arrangement is available now in Hamilton, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Clark, Allen and Mercer counties in Ohio and Campbell, Grant, Kenton, Mason counties in northern Kentucky.

“We understand that cancer treatment can be the hardest experience that our members will ever have to go through,” said Michael Kolodziej, M.D., Aetna’s national medical director for Oncology Solutions. “This oncology medical home with the OHC will help give our members optimal care and an optimal patient experience.”

The model is part of a strategic decision to transition from fee-for-service reimbursement to value-based payment. Value-based arrangements are emerging as a solution to address rising health care costs, clinical inefficiency and duplication of services. These arrangements also make it easier for people to get the care they need. In value-based models, doctors and hospitals are paid for helping keep people healthy and for improving the health of those who have chronic conditions in an evidence-based, cost-effective way.

“We are excited to be one of the first physician practices in Ohio to collaborate with Aetna to create an oncology medical home that provides our patients and their families with an optimal care experience,” said E. Randolph Broun, M.D., president and chairman of OHC. OHC is committed to ensuring that patients receive the necessary care when and where they need it, and in the most cost effective manner.”

The operating principles of the OHC and Aetna oncology medical home include:

• An orientation to the whole person. A personal physician from OHC will be responsible for providing or arranging for all of a patient’s health care needs with other qualified professionals. This includes care for all stages of treatment: preventive services, acute care, chronic care and end-of-life care.
• Evidence-based, personalized medical care. The OHC team will focus on making treatment decisions based on current medical evidence for each unique disease presentation, patient-specific factors and patient choice by utilizing Via Oncology’s Clinical Pathways. Clinical Pathways were designed by teams of surgeons, medical oncologists, hematologists and radiation oncologists to improve quality and outcomes.
• Coordinated and integrated care. Across all elements of the health system, care will be facilitated to enable Aetna members to get the appropriate care when and where it is needed and wanted, in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.
• Quality and safety. Quality and safety will be a focus of care, including use of evidence-based medicine, clinical decision support tools and accountability for continuous quality improvement.
• Enhanced access to care. Care will be available through systems such as open scheduling, expanded hours and new options for communication between Aetna members, their personal physicians and hospital staff.

Aetna is working with health care organizations nationwide to develop products and services that support value-driven, patient-centered care for health care consumers. Nationally today, about 3.2 million Aetna members receive care from doctors committed to the value-based approach, with 30 percent of Aetna claims payments going to doctors and providers who practice value-based care. Aetna has committed to increasing that number to 50 percent by 2018 and 75 percent by 2020.

About OHC
For more than 30 years, OHC has served as the region’s premier provider of treatments for adult cancer and complex blood disorders, offering a wide range of services, state-of-the-art treatments and technologies. OHC puts patients first by delivering leading edge, compassionate, and convenient care, tailored to meet a patient’s medical and personal needs.

With more than 70 physicians and advanced practice providers, OHC treats nearly every form of adult cancer and complex blood disorders with medical, radiation and gynecologic oncology specialists. OHC offers clinical research trials in cutting-edge protocols and the most experienced adult blood and marrow transplant center in Cincinnati. With neighborhood locations throughout the tri-state area, OHC is one of the largest independent oncology practices in the United States. For more information visit www.ohcare.com.

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving an estimated 46.5 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services, workers' compensation administrative services and health information technology products and services. Aetna's customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com and learn about how Aetna is helping to build a healthier world. @AetnaNews

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