In 2012, medical costs for the Alliance increased by just 0.9 percent, well below the Minneapolis metro area average. In 2009, before the Northwest Metro Alliance was launched, medical costs increased 8.09 percent.
Since its inception in 2010, the Northwest Metro Alliance model has deployed several initiatives to improve health as well as contain costs, including:
• Increase generic drug prescription. In 2012, prescription spending decreased $3.4 million due to generic drug use.
• Increase low-risk heart patient access to testing. Last year, the Alliance spread access to stress tests to more than 400 patients each month who go to Minneapolis-based Mercy Hospital’s emergency department with chest pain, which can help prevent unnecessary admissions.
• Cut down childhood obesity rates. The Alliance started a pilot project last year to which pediatricians can refer families when a child has a body mass index above the 95th percentile for their age group.
The Northwest Metro Health Alliance includes more than 27,000 patients who have HealthPartners insurance and receive care from Allina Health Clinics, HealthPartners Medical Clinics and Mercy Hospital.
More Articles on Accountable Care Organizations:
What Accountable Care Accreditation Says About a Hospital
Medicare Outpaces Commercial ACO Growth: Report
Building a Medicare ACO: Mercy Health Select’s Story
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