Aetna is teaming up with Cleveland Clinic to launch a co-branded health plan.
The Aetna Whole Health – Cleveland Clinic plan will be offered to employers in northeast Ohio. It includes a coordinated care model through Cleveland Clinic's providers, including the Cleveland Clinic Quality Alliance's network of employed and independent community physicians.
The accountable care model will reward Cleveland Clinic for meeting quality and cost targets, Aetna's parent company CVS Health said in an announcement.
"We have continued to build on those opportunities to jointly deliver new solutions to that community with the line of sight to, 'How do we change healthcare from just this widget management to really, truly impacting the cost of healthcare and underlying quality?'" Angie Meoli, senior vice president of network strategy and provider experience at Aetna, told Fierce Healthcare.
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Both fully and self-insured employers in 10 Ohio counties will have the option to opt into the Aetna Whole Health – Cleveland Clinic plan beginning this fall, depending on their group size and segment.
The team-up also includes some national components, such as a new cardiac center of excellence at Cleveland Clinic that will be available to Aetna plan sponsors across the country. Commercial members nationwide will also have access to second opinions from Cleveland Clinic providers for certain conditions.
Cleveland Clinic will have a dedicated referral line for Aetna members for the virtual second opinions. Aetna care managers will work one-on-one with members to help them navigate the process.
Aetna and Cleveland Clinic plan to work together to develop future initiatives as well, the companies said.
"I think that a big component of the ability to launch relationships like this and relationships that are really effectively focused—it really comes down to how we jointly partner," Meoli said. "A big focus for us at Aetna has truly been viewing our providers as partners."