Cigna and Franciscan St. Francis Health Demonstrate Success Improving Quality and Lowering Costs Through Collaborative Care Program

  • Lower medical cost trend compared to market
  • Fewer emergency room visits and inpatient hospital admissions for non-emergency care
  • Increase in adolescent well care visits

INDIANAPOLIS--()--Second-year results from a collaborative care program between Cigna (NYSE: CI) and Franciscan St. Francis Health show improvement in quality of care and lower medical costs. Cigna Collaborative Care is the company’s approach to accomplishing the same population health goals as accountable care organizations, or ACOs: improved health, affordability and customer experience.

In 2013, Cigna and Franciscan St. Francis Health launched their collaborative care program with the goal of providing cost effective, quality care to customers covered by a Cigna health plan. With a focus on care coordination, the program ensures individuals with chronic conditions or other health challenges get the care they need at the right time in the right place.

In the second year of the program, Franciscan’s medical cost is trending 4.3 percent better than the market. By encouraging people to choose a primary care physician and offering resources to help them manage chronic conditions, the group reduced emergency room visits for non-emergency care by 21.3 percent. They also saw a 4.3 percent reduction in inpatient hospital readmissions compared to market. Additionally, there was a 13.6 percent increase in adolescents who visited a primary care physician.

“When a health plan and a health care delivery system are on the same team, people are healthier and costs are lower,” said Peter W. McCauley Sr., M.D., regional medical executive for Cigna's Northeast region, which includes the Midwest. “Working together with Franciscan St. Francis, we aim to change the way care is delivered with an emphasis on quality, rather than quantity of services. Based on these results, it’s clear our approach is working.”

In places where it’s been introduced, Cigna Collaborative Care is helping to improve the health of Cigna customers while effectively managing medical costs. The programs are helping to close gaps in care, such as missed health screenings or prescription refills, reinforcing the appropriate use of hospital emergency rooms, increasing the number of preventive health visits and improving follow-up care for people transitioning from the hospital to home.

Critical to the program’s benefits are the registered nurse clinical care coordinators, employed by Franciscan, who help individuals with chronic conditions or other health challenges navigate the health care system. The care coordinators are aligned with a team of Cigna case managers to ensure a high degree of collaboration between the medical group and Cigna, which provides a better experience for the individual.

“Our relationship with Cigna has had a positive impact on the experience of our patients,” said Jennifer Westfall, vice president for Franciscan Alliance ACO. “Through the program, we have access to data that allows us to provide patients with seamless, quality care while addressing health issues before they become more serious and costly.”

Care coordinators can also help people schedule appointments, provide health education and refer individuals to Cigna's clinical support programs, such as disease management programs for diabetes, heart disease and other conditions; and lifestyle management programs, such as programs for tobacco cessation, weight management and stress management.

Cigna has been at the forefront of the accountable care organization movement since 2008 and now has 124 Cigna Collaborative Care arrangements with large physician groups that span 29 states, reach more than 1.3 million commercial customers and encompass more than 50,000 doctors, including more than 24,000 primary care physicians and more than 27,000 specialists.

About Franciscan St. Francis Health

With hospitals in Indianapolis, Mooresville and Carmel, Franciscan St. Francis Health is a member of the Franciscan Alliance, one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the Midwest with 13 hospitals throughout Indiana and Illinois. The Franciscan Alliance serves a geographic area with a population of 3.7 million people, provides care for more than 2.9 million outpatient visits and completes more than 100,000 inpatient discharges every year. To learn more about Franciscan Alliance go to www.franciscanalliance.org.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has approximately 88 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

Contacts

Media Contacts:
Cigna
Michelle Vroom, 267-606-5822
michelle.vroom@cigna.com
or
Franciscan St. Francis Health
Joe Stuteville, 317-946-9930
joe.stuteville@franciscanalliance.org

Release Summary

Second-year results from a collaborative care program between Cigna and Franciscan St. Francis Health show improvement in quality of care and lower medical costs.

Contacts

Media Contacts:
Cigna
Michelle Vroom, 267-606-5822
michelle.vroom@cigna.com
or
Franciscan St. Francis Health
Joe Stuteville, 317-946-9930
joe.stuteville@franciscanalliance.org