UConn Health and the Value Care Alliance (VCA) are pleased to announce that UConn Health has joined the VCA as its newest member effective November 1, 2024.

VCA is a consortium of Connecticut healthcare systems committed to lowering healthcare costs for employers and improving the health of their workforce. VCA founding members, Middlesex Health and Griffin Health, have successfully worked with employers based largely in Middlesex and New Haven counties to adopt health insurance plans with value-based design features that incentivize employees to choose high-value providers and healthcare services. UConn Health expands VCA’s statewide network of high-value providers and strengthens the Alliance’s reach into the Greater Hartford area with its wide range of specialized services, including geriatric, brain and complex spine surgery, interventional cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, maternal and fetal medicine, and gynecologic oncology services.

“We are excited to join forces with Middlesex Health and Griffin Health to expand the Value Care Alliance – working to bring greater holistic and high-quality, value-based care to the citizens of our state and the region,” said Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, CEO of UConn Health.

Formed in 2013, the VCA is a collaboration among high-quality, low-cost Connecticut healthcare systems, including hospitals and organized physician groups, working together to enhance efficient, coordinated care and promote local governance with shared leadership in healthcare decision making. VCA’s advanced care delivery network is actively engaged in value-based payment models and was one of the first Accountable Care Organization (ACO) cohorts in the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

“As a statewide leader in quality and service with exceptional capabilities, UConn Health will be a valuable addition to the Alliance,” said Patrick Charmel, Griffin Health President and CEO and Value Care Alliance Chairman. “Consumers and employers will benefit from the inclusion of UConn Health and its affiliated physicians in the VCA network given that it provides improved access to a comprehensive range of highly specialized services that produce superior outcomes and an exceptional patient experience at a lower cost. We look forward to working closely with UConn Health to support employers seeking solutions to improve the health and well-being of their workforce and to lower their employee healthcare costs.”

This strategic alliance provides its members with the benefits of scale, shared best practices, and the ability to achieve operating efficiencies while addressing local market needs. By joining the VCA, UConn Health will participate in the VCA’s value-based contract arrangements with commercial and Medicare Advantage plans, under which VCA members take responsibility for the total cost of all healthcare provided and outcomes produced for individuals insured through the plan. UConn Health will also benefit from lower costs through shared services and combined purchasing power.

Though its membership in the VCA, UConn Health will receive access to the VCA’s healthcare claims and clinical data repository and suite of advanced analytical tools as well as its broad capabilities to manage the conditions and social drivers of health that impact people’s day-to-day lives. The financial resources required to build population health management infrastructure can be significant. UConn Health will be able to leverage the investments the VCA has made over the past decade to improve the health of the highest risk, chronically ill, and socially vulnerable individuals.

With the addition of UConn Health, the VCA and UConn Health provides care to more than 76,000 individuals through their participation in value-based arrangements with Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and commercial insurers.

“The Value Care Alliance is pleased to welcome UConn Health to our collaborative network,” said Jeanne O’Brien CEO of the Value Care Alliance. “By joining, UConn Health gains access to the benefits of group purchasing and shared innovative technology, helping to enhance patient-focused care. Together, we look forward to strengthening healthcare delivery and navigating the challenges of an evolving healthcare landscape.”

In 2015, the VCA partnered with Aetna to introduce Connecticut’s first tiered network insurance plan, Aetna Whole Health. The Aetna Whole Health plan includes a state-wide network of hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers that give employers a high-quality, cost-efficient healthcare option for their employees with a patient-centric model of proactive healthcare focused on keeping people healthy, rather than reactive and just treating them when they become sick. When employers offer Aetna Whole Health as health insurance option, their employees pay lower out-of-pocket costs when they choose to receive their care from high-value providers like those that are part of the VCA, and the employers experience reduced employee health plan cost because the Aetna Whole Health Plan premium is lower than what Aetna and other managed care companies charge for the standard HMO/PPO products. Individuals with Aetna Whole Health will now have access to UConn Health’s network of specialists and facilities in addition to the existing network of providers.

“Joining Aetna Whole Health through the Value Care Alliance has enabled us to lower healthcare costs for both our organization and our employees while offering a low deductible for access to high-quality, cost-effective providers,” said Dave Rotatori, President and CEO of Ion Bank. “We’ve learned the importance of encouraging employees to address health concerns early, focusing on preventive care, and guiding them toward providers who deliver exceptional care at a lower cost. This approach not only supports employee well-being but also ensures better value in healthcare.”

To learn more about the VCA, visit https://valuecarealliance.com. Employers interested in the Aetna Whole Health Plan can call 203-564-9417 for more information.