R-Health Launches Medicare ACO in Southeastern Pennsylvania

New ‘Care is Primary ACO’ is First Collaborative Medicare Accountable Care Organization of Smaller, Independent Physicians in the Philadelphia Area

R-Health, a leader in innovative healthcare solutions, today announced the company is launching a new Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO), Care is Primary ACO. Care is Primary ACO is the first in Southeastern Pennsylvania consisting exclusively of smaller, independent primary care physicians.

This model of care brings together a select group of high-performing, independent primary care physicians to develop an ACO – a network of physicians who collaborate to deliver coordinated care to Medicare beneficiaries. It focuses on the critical shift from fragmented, episodic care to continuous, relationship-based care that stresses prevention and management of chronic diseases.

Care is Primary ACO delivers value-based care by partnering with physicians throughout the five counties of Southeastern Pennsylvania. The value-based system rewards positive health outcomes for patients, instead of a traditional volume-based approach that rewards physicians based on the number of patients treated, not outcomes.

“R-Health believes that primary care has the ability to transform, delivering better, more personalized care to patients at lower costs,” said Nancy Meisinger, Vice President of Clinical Performance at R-Health. “The independent practitioners in this ACO have already demonstrated success through value-based contracts and we expect to achieve even greater outcomes through Care is Primary ACO.”

“High performing independent primary care practices all share the same challenges but historically we have been isolated from each other,” said Dr. Allan Crimm, Managing Partner of Ninth Street Internal Medicine. “The unique collaboration fostered by Care is Primary ACO enables us to leverage our collective expertise, share best practices, and help us all deliver superior care to our patients.”

The Care is Primary ACO currently includes nearly 100 providers, with more high-quality independent practices expected to join. The ACO anticipates serving over 11,000 Medicare beneficiaries through the Medicare Shared Savings Program.