Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and JFK Medical Center form Accountable Care Organization

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) and Edison-based JFK Medical Center, through its JFK ACO, announced today the launch of a collaborative Accountable Care Organization (ACO) to improve care and patient outcomes for over 5,000 Horizon BCBSNJ members. More than 140 doctors practicing at approximately 50 practice locations in Central New Jersey are participating in an ACO slated to begin on April 1, 2014. “This collaborative agreement with JFK is another important step in transforming the health care system in New Jersey with an eye toward delivering better patient care while containing costs,” said Jim Albano, Vice President of Network Management and Horizon Healthcare Innovations at Horizon BCBSNJ. “Our physician-led Board of Directors chose Horizon because it was evident they excelled in the qualities needed for the ACO to be truly successful,” says William F. Oser, vice president, medical affairs and director of ACO’s at JFK. ACOs are built on a strong primary care foundation. Participating physician groups help create a healthier patient population through a coordinated approach to care among providers within the ACO. ACOs are designed to increase accountability to achieve measured patient quality outcomes and decrease unnecessary and duplicative medical tests and treatments. Under this ACO agreement, Horizon BCBSNJ will provide care coordination payments to the ACO to take on additional accountability for improving the health and patient experience as well as controlling the cost of care for its Horizon BCBSNJ patients. The ACO and its affiliated practices -- provided the ACO meets certain health improvement, patient satisfaction and cost goals -- have an opportunity to share in the resulting financial savings with Horizon BCBSNJ. Horizon BCBSNJ has a number of Patient-Centered Programs, including Accountable Care Organizations, Patient-Centered Medical Homes, and programs focused on different Episodes of Care (i.e. joint replacement, pregnancy). More than 500,000 Horizon BCBSNJ members are now benefiting from this programs that are working to improve patient care while controlling costs. About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state’s oldest and largest health insurer, is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health services corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, serving 3.7 million members with headquarters in Newark and offices in Wall, Mt. Laurel, and West Trenton. Learn more at www.HorizonBlue.com.