March 08, 2019
SEATTLE – Regence BlueShield and Northwest Medical Specialties (NWMS) today announced a new value-based agreement that will help enhance the quality of care for cancer patients in the Puget Sound region.
Regence’s innovative agreement with NWMS, one of the leading providers of cancer care in western Washington, will ensure that NWMS’s care for Regence members is incentivized based on patient satisfaction, patient experience and patient outcomes. Value-based care results in a team-based approach specifically designed to improve the quality, accessibility, and affordability of care to cancer patients.
“Our collaboration with NWMS to focus on the patient experience is part of our longstanding mission to move the health care system away from a payment model reliant on volume of care to a model centered around quality of care for the ultimate benefit of our members,” said John Partin, Vice President of Network Management for Regence BlueShield. “This innovative, proven approach improves patient health outcomes and lowers costs in a system craving more efficiency.”
Over the past five years, Regence BlueShield and its affiliated health plans have implemented more than 50 value-based agreements with providers across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah.
NWMS, with six locations across Pierce County and South King County, has emerged in recent years as a national leader in value-based cancer care.
“As an early adopter in providing cost-effective and high-quality care, we are thrilled to embark on this new model with Regence BlueShield,” said Dr. Sibel Blau, Medical Director for Oncology and Hematology at NWMS. “Our partnership will help change the health care system and have a tangible impact on cancer care in Washington.”
About Regence BlueShield
Regence BlueShield has been serving Washingtonians in select counties for over a century and now provides nearly 1.1 million members with comprehensive health insurance solutions. As a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com, facebook.com/regenceblueshieldwa or twitter.com/regencewa.
About Northwest Medical Specialties
Northwest Medical Specialties (NWMS) provides state-of-the-art medical service for patients diagnosed with cancer, blood diseases and infectious diseases. NWMS is dedicated to providing excellence in patient care and understanding individual needs. NWMS participates in several quality cancer-care initiatives, such as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation’s Oncology Care Model, American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative, and the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
http://news.regence.com/releases/regence-blueshield-and-northwest-medical-specialties-partner-on-value-based-cancer-care