The Mississippi Affiliated Health Network, an alliance of leading hospitals and more than 1,000 clinicians, and Aetna, a national leader in health care benefits, have entered into a value-based agreement that will serve approximately 9,000 patients across Mississippi. Aetna members already enrolled in a fully insured plan and who have seen a Mississippi Affiliated Health Network provider in the last 12 months automatically became part of the collaboration on Jan. 1, 2017. Those members are receiving the additional benefit of an integrated care delivery model that includes the tracking of metrics to achieve higher quality care and lower costs.  

“This agreement with Aetna is a strong endorsement of our proven model for delivering quality and value in health care,” said Chris Anderson, chairman of the Network’s board and vice president of Mississippi operations for Baptist Memorial Health Care. “We are looking forward to improving the health of Mississippians through this alignment with a national leader in health care innovation and improvement.”

“We are pleased to work with the Mississippi Affiliated Health Network to improve the quality of care for our members and to lower health care costs,” said Frank Ulibarri, market president of Aetna in Mississippi.  “This agreement will ensure that our members in Mississippi receive coordinated care that helps them live healthier, more productive lives.”

The Mississippi Affiliated Health Network is a physician-led alliance of health care professionals working to improve health and increase value to patients, employers, and other consumers of health care services. The network is responsible for delivering high-quality, cost-effective care to more than 25,000 people across the state.

The network was founded to address the need to reduce health care costs and to improve the health of people in communities across Mississippi, with a particular focus on diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. By bringing together clinicians who are committed to quality and value, the network offers employers, insurance carriers, and patients a powerful resource for better health.

The agreement announced with Aetna today is built on a foundation of quality: network clinicians will be accountable for meeting key quality metrics, such as recommended cancer and diabetes screenings, in exchange for a percentage of savings achieved by improving outcomes while lowering costs. Over time, the level of accountability increases for network clinicians. This type of arrangement is becoming more common as insurance carriers and provider networks across the country move to value-based care, a concept centered on aligning incentives for health care providers to reduce costs and improve quality.

“Our mission is to improve the health of Mississippians, making Mississippi an even better place to live, work, and play. To help us achieve that mission, we are collaborating with organizations like Aetna who share our passion to make health care more effective and affordable for everyone,” said Henry Sullivant, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Baptist Memorial Health Care and a network board member.