Ten Federally Qualified Health Centers Collaborate with State to Improve Health Outcomes, Reduce Costs in Minnesota Medicaid Program

• As part of the state’s innovative payment reform effort, FUHN will be responsible for meeting quality and cost benchmarks for about 22,000 Medicaid beneficiaries
• Optum to provide analytical and predictive modeling capabilities, consulting expertise, and population health management specialists

ST. PAUL, Minn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Ten federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in the Twin Cities area have formed a coalition to collaborate with the state to improve care and reduce costs for nearly 22,000 Medicaid beneficiaries in Minnesota.

Under terms of the contract with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), the Federally Qualified Health Center Urban Health Network (FUHN) will be responsible for meeting DHS-established quality and cost benchmarks for Medicaid patients, and will be eligible to share in cost-savings it achieves during a three-year contract period.

Known as an accountable care organization (ACO), the FUHN model – one of the nation’s first “safety net” ACOs – is one component in Minnesota’s Medicaid Health Care Delivery System (HCDS) demonstration project, a payment reform effort aimed at improving Medicaid outcomes and reducing costs by focusing on integrated and coordinated patient care.

To help achieve its goals, FUHN has partnered with Optum, an Eden Prairie-based health care services and technology company. FUHN and Optum have invested time and resources to develop a care coordination model that emphasizes population health management and increased patient engagement. The model relies on data analytics and the deployment of predictive modeling software, which Optum is providing to FUHN as a component of the collaboration.

“This contract represents a fundamental shift in our relationship with the state, and in our relationship with each other, to better serve Medicaid beneficiaries,” said Dr. Jaeson Fournier, chief executive officer of West Side Community Health Services in St. Paul and chairperson of FUHN. “These 10 FQHCs have come together as FUHN to deliver better, more integrated care to those we serve. Optum’s financial commitment to our project, its health care and Medicaid knowledge, and its technical expertise will support FUHN in achieving its goals of increasing patient satisfaction, improving patient health care outcomes, and reducing the total …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance