Bronson Healthcare Group joins Blueprint for Affordability

Earlier this month, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan announced that Bronson Healthcare Group was the most recent health care system to join Blueprint for Affordability, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan program working to improve health care affordability and patient outcomes. Bronson is the largest health care system to enter a full accountability reimbursement arrangement for all its patients with Medicare Plus Blue℠ PPO and BCN Advantage℠ HMO plans.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Blue Cross, symbolizing a significant step forward in our commitment to enhancing care for our Medicare Advantage patients,” said Paul Fu, M.D., MBA, chief clinical officer for Bronson Medical Group. “This collaboration allows us to leverage innovative care models and proactive management strategies, ensuring that our patients have access to the high-quality, comprehensive and coordinated services they deserve to achieve better health outcomes in our communities."

Blueprint is a partnership model that aligns provider incentives, financial accountability and enhanced data and analytics to drive better outcomes for members. Program results indicate that Blueprint physicians have achieved $93 million in lower costs and higher HEDIS^® and Medicare Star quality performance over a three-year period.

Since December 2022, eight of the 25 Blueprint physician organizations have added full-accountability Blueprint agreements for their Medicare Advantage plans. Currently, 70% of Medicare Advantage members and 57% of commercial PPO primary care-engaged members in Michigan receive care from a Blueprint health care provider.

“We’re excited to add Bronson Healthcare Group to our growing list of Blueprint partners,” said Todd Van Tol, executive vice president, Health Care Value at Blue Cross. “Blue Cross is committed to bringing our members innovative, value-based care models like Blueprint, which can help manage the ever-increasing cost of care while delivering savings and improved member satisfaction.”

How Blueprint works

The Blueprint model is based on quality and affordability. In full-accountability agreements, such as the one Bronson recently entered, payment is tied to how well physicians manage the overall health and outcomes of their patient populations. Participants agree to take accountability for the quality, experience and total cost of their patients’ care, and they must meet key outcomes and affordability goals. When physicians meet quality and cost goals, they can earn more. When they don’t, they are financially responsible for the added expense.

The full-accountability arrangements accelerate Blue Cross’ efforts to evolve reimbursement away from the traditional fee-for-service model, which pays per unit of service and rewards providers based on volume, rather than effectiveness, of the services provided to patients.

Together with our provider partners, Blue Cross has been pioneering this shift to value-based care in Michigan since 2005. Through these Value Partnerships initiatives, including the Patient-Centered Medical Home program, Blue Cross has saved more than $6.3 billion in medical costs.

Visit our Blueprint for Affordability website for more information.

HEDIS^®, which stands for Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set, is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance, or NCQA.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.