GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This month, Priority Health is announcing its 2016 Quality Award recipients. This annual award recognizes Priority Health’s network doctors and health care practices for their partnership in improving health care outcomes in Michigan.
To provide its members with the greatest access to exceptional patient care and raise the state’s overall health care standards, Priority Health works closely with physicians and practices to improve health outcomes, lower the cost of care and help engage members in their own health. While Priority Health’s physician network earned exceptional scores overall, the Quality Awards annually recognize the top performers.
The Priority Health Quality Awards are given to practices that achieve the highest overall scores in preventive care and chronic disease measures through the Priority Health Primary Care Provider Incentive Program. The program tracks clinical quality measures against national standards and evidence-based medicine.
Priority Health sets high targets on 25 measures like cancer screenings depression screenings, immunizations and chronic condition management. By collaborating with physicians, Priority Health has successfully helped health plan members avoid the incidence of chronic disease complications for conditions such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, asthma and hypertension at rates better than state and national averages. This year 176 of Priority Health’s network practices were recognized for excellence statewide.
“At Priority Health, our approach is to improve the quality, access and affordability of care for our members,” said Joan Budden, president and CEO of Priority Health. “Year after year we see proven results of this program with improved health outcomes, lower cost of care and higher satisfaction of our members.”
In 2015 practices saw a marked increase in earnings in recognition of their work to adopt care transformation strategies; specifically - primary care medical home (PCMH) designation as well as care management. The growth rate in practices offering point-of-care care management services is up nearly 170 percent from a year ago, which means patients with complex care needs have access to a full care team and individualized treatment plans.
Priority Health invests in practices to help develop the quality initiatives and infrastructure required to support the transformation of care and it is working. The total dollars earned by practices increased 24 percent, to over $28 million this year, compared to last. Priority Health sets high targets, with practices needing to meet or exceed the national 90th percentile in order to qualify for incentive awards.
Over 12 years, Priority Health has awarded more than $225 million over and above standard payment of services to practices that have demonstrated outstanding care quality. What started with recognition of fewer than 30 practices in 2003, the Quality Awards program has now evolved to celebrating hundreds of practices across the state for achievement of the highest levels of care.
The full list of recipients of the 2016 Priority Health Quality Awards can be viewed here.
About Priority Health:
Priority Health is an award-winning, Michigan-based non-profit health plan nationally recognized for improving the health and lives of the people it serves. It continues to lead the industry in engaging members in their health, delivering effective health and disease management programs and working with physicians to improve health care outcomes and performance. Priority Health is one of only 20 health plans nationwide offering wellness programs accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, an organization which also rated it among the best health plans in the nation. The State of Michigan named the Priority Health HMO the benchmark plan for all individual and group HMO plans to model.
Priority Health offers a broad portfolio of health benefit options for employer groups and individuals, including Medicare and Medicaid plans. Its network of health care providers features 95 percent of practicing physicians available in Michigan and more than 900,000 health care providers nationwide.
