Bridges Health Partners Highmark BCBS Form Commercial Value-Based Care Agreement

What You Should Know:

Bridges Health Partners LLC (Bridges), a Clinically Integrated Network, and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (Highmark) entered into a multi-year Value-Based Agreement for Highmark’s Commercial membership in Western Pennsylvania.The agreement is designed to improve the health of Highmark’s members by providing accessible, high quality, cost effective, patient centered care through member collaboration and innovation. This agreement builds on the successful results of the Value-Based Agreements Bridges and Highmark entered in January 2022 for Highmark’s Medicare Advantage members and the January 2020 Agreement for the Highmark Wholecare membership.

Enhancing Healthcare Excellence: Bridges’ Integrated Care Approach with Highmark

Bridges’ dedication to excellence has earned recognition from various national and independent organizations, such as HealthGrades, The Leapfrog Group, Quantros CareChex, IBM Watson 100 Top Hospitals, and U.S. News and World Report’s High Performing Hospitals and Best Regional Hospitals, among others. With eight hospital campuses boasting over 1,450 licensed beds and a network of more than 1,000 employed and affiliated physicians, along with primary care and specialty group practices, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care clinics, imaging and diagnostic centers, skilled nursing, home health, and hospice care facilities, Bridges provides comprehensive healthcare services.

Established in 2017 through a collaboration between Independence Health System, St. Clair Health, and Washington Health System, Bridges collaborates with both independent and employed medical staff to deliver an integrated regional network of care, supported by over 1,000 physicians. This partnership aligns with Highmark’s strategic transition to value-based reimbursement models, focusing on improving member outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. These models incentivize providers to deliver timely and appropriate care while prioritizing preventive measures.

Additionally, the agreement will establish a joint care management team tasked with utilizing data insights to proactively address Highmark members’ healthcare needs, promoting early intervention and preventive care education. This team will work closely with Bridges providers to address any gaps in care, enhance patient access to medical services, reduce costs, and improve the overall patient experience. The integration between inpatient and outpatient care teams will ensure seamless coordination of care.

“We established a great relationship with Highmark over the past few years and are excited to build on that with this new agreement”, said Bridges Health Partners LLC President and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Robert Zimmerman. “Working collaboratively, Bridges and Highmark will use insights derived from clinical, claims, and administrative data to promote a healthier community through wellness promotion and early intervention”