Ochsner Accountable Care Network Announces More Than $12M in Savings for Medicare Beneficiaries

2018 savings improved by 12% and impacted over 24,000 people

The Ochsner Accountable Care Network, LLC (OACN) is pleased to report its 2018 savings results, which include a reduction in the expected cost of care by more than $12.87M for over 24,000 Medicare beneficiaries. The 2018 savings represented an 81% increase in savings per beneficiary and a 12% increase in total savings over 2017, resulting from collaboration and development of programs focused on benefiting patients and improve the overall health of the region.

Efforts that contributed to these significant savings include:

• Development of Outpatient Complex Case Management and MedVantage Clinics, which support patients facing chronic and complex health issues and enhance access to resources to get them healthier.

• Conducting proactive patient outreach focused on encouraging patients to see a primary care physician before health issues develop.

• Leveraging Ochsner’s Digital Medicine programs, including digital hypertension, to help patients manage health conditions from the comfort of home.

• Utilization of Epic, the nation’s leading electronic heath record program, which improves care coordinationand allows patients to have better access to their own health information.

• Successfully transitioning hospitalized patients back home or to post-acute care settings, ensuring they have the resources and care needed to get well.

“We are relentless about finding innovative ways to improve quality of care, reduce costs for our patients and improve the overall health of the communities we serve,” said Dr. David Carmouche, President of the Ochsner Health Network and Executive Director of OACN. “As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, our network of providers and partners is leveraging resources, technology and best practices to create better patient experience and outcomes.”

OACN is an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) that consists of more than 2,500 providers in Louisiana and Mississippi. OACN was founded in 2013 to ensure that patients, especially those with chronic conditions, get the right care, at the right time, in the right place. OACN is dedicated to improving health outcomes and supports population health efforts across Louisiana and the Gulf South. As the largest ACO in Louisiana, OACN’s team includes Ochsner employed and community providers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, St. Tammany Parish, Houma and South Mississippi.

ACOs are groups of physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers who come together voluntarily to provide coordinated, quality care to Medicare patients. The goal of an ACO is to improve efficiency and coordination of care, resulting in improved care delivery and reduced healthcare costs to the patient and organization. Patients see the benefit of an ACO through improved communication of their healthcare teams and reduced duplication in paperwork and medical tests.

For more information about OACN’s participants or past performance, please visit www.ochsneracn.org.

OACN is affiliated with the Ochsner Health Network (OHN).