About Independence Blue Cross

Building innovative care models that work

We are positively changing the way health care is delivered by helping to build models of care that work. That includes developing value-based innovations and supporting approaches that help improve health outcomes, break down barriers to care, and drive increased cost efficiency in the system.

Value-Based Care

We are leaders in developing value-based reimbursement and payment models, where health systems, hospitals, and physicians are paid based on the health outcomes we want for our members rather than on the volume of services they provide. These models reward providers for delivering high-quality care, improving health outcomes and efficiency, and creating a better experience for our members. Our models include the following programs:

  • Quality Incentive Payment System for primary care practices
  • Total Value of Care for academic medical centers and hospitals
  • Episodes of Care for specialists, academic medical centers, and hospitals
  • Nephrology Pay for Value program for nephrology practices

Clinical Care Innovation Program

Our Clinical Care Innovation Program provides a unique commitment by Independence to make it less difficult to innovate and improve health care delivery through grants and collaborative pilots. The program supports the work that hospitals and doctors in our network are doing to improve health care delivery, quality outcomes, and affordability for our members and the community at large.

The program supports new and innovative care delivery ideas, cutting edge models of care, and mature initiatives.

New and innovative care delivery ideas need support to better assess efficacy and efficiency and refine their approach. Our Clinical Care Innovation Grants support these novel approaches. To date, we have awarded 14 Clinical Care Innovation Grants to five different health systems and large specialty groups for projects focusing on topics like:

  • Maternal Health — AI-Based Support for New Mothers
  • Chronic Kidney Disease — Primary Care Model
  • Palliative Care in Dementia Patients
  • Remote Cardiac Rehabilitation
  • Image Based Screening Rates for Cancer
  • AI Texting Support for Oral Chemotherapy
  • Urgent Pregnancy Care
  • Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Approaches
  • Caregiver Support for Seriously Ill Patients

Cutting edge models of care have been investigated and demonstrated success outside of our market and in investigational settings but require further collaborative development with our provider partners to optimize their value for our members. These pilots focus on clinical priorities like:

  • Remote Patient Monitoring/Telemonitoring
  • Moving Care Closer to Home
  • Behavioral Health
  • Health Equity

Mature initiatives are cutting edge models of care that have been refined and proven with our network provider partners, where we are scaling their impact more broadly across the Independence network. Initiatives like our expansion of the Collaborative Care Management Program, which integrates mental health professionals into the primary care setting, fit in this category.

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News and commentary about building innovative care models at Independence: