Independence Expands Value-Based Care Relationship, Seeks to Boost Primary Care

Independence Blue Cross (Independence) announced that it will expand its value-based care relationship with Penn Medicine by selling a minority equity stake in one of Independence’s subsidiaries.

The payer will sell a minority stake in Tandigm Health to its health system partner. The goal is to empower the accessibility of Penn Medicine’s primary care services and also to provide new avenues for specialty care.

Specifically, Penn Medicine will work with Tandigm on the company’s value-based arrangements for primary care services with payers. The companies did not share a timeline for this agreement, but described it as a long-term arrangement.

“We are excited to move to the next generation of value-based care, expanding member access to the benefits of population health management and ensuring that they can access quality care where and when they need it. This means connecting every aspect of the healthcare system, from the primary care physician to the hospital and all the other critical care settings, including the home,” said Gregory E. Deavens, president and chief executive officer of Independence Blue Cross.

Tandigm’s 400 primary care providers serve the Philadelphia area and are affiliated with community hospitals. The organization also has a call center staffed by nurses who work with the primary care providers to coordinate care.

The partners indicated that this arrangement aligns with Independence’s previous collaborations with Penn Medicine, which involved facilitating integration in value-based care efforts across the region.

“In an increasingly complex health care environment where patients have choices about where to get care, we have to provide equitable access to the right care at the right place – which is often close to home,” said Kevin Mahoney, chief executive officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

“Tandigm has built the tools and expertise to enable that. Working with Tandigm’s network of primary care physicians and with local community hospitals, we can ensure that patients get access to the range of services that best meet their needs in the most convenient location. As the healthcare industry changes, partnerships like this are helping us to create the future – and stability –  that both our patients and the healthcare providers who serve our community deserve.”

The arrangement might also allow Tandigm primary care providers to expand their specialty care, advanced home healthcare, and virtual care services.

The agreement starts on January 1, 2023.

Previously in 2022, Independence partnered with a nonprofit to address colorectal cancer awareness and preventive care.

The payer’s work in maternal healthcare was noted in a set of case studies from AHIP. Independence’s Baby BluePrints program leveraged predictive modeling to assess social determinants of health barriers—including food insecurity, financial instability, and transportation challenges—can impact mothers with high risks.

Bolstering primary care is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. Some employer coalitions have urged purchasers to lean into primary care investment in order to improve wellness and prevention.