Hartford HealthCare and Tufts Health Plan Join Forces to Create Connecticut's First Provider-Payer Collaborative Health Plan

HARTFORD, Conn. and WATERTOWN, Mass., Feb. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hartford HealthCare and Tufts Health Plan announced today the creation of a new and innovative health plan through the formation of a joint venture. This is the first collaboration of its kind in Connecticut.  

The new company, CarePartners of Connecticut, Inc., harnesses the expertise of both organizations to create a new kind of health plan: one that brings physicians, hospitals and a health plan together to work in alignment, increasing quality and improving the coordination of care for its members. CarePartners of Connecticut will offer Medicare Advantage plans to eligible beneficiaries, pending approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). 

"This new partnership represents an important chapter in a larger story about the exciting shift occurring across the American health care delivery system ? for providers and health plans to create meaningful partnerships to make care more accessible, consumer friendly, affordable and ultimately more coordinated," said Elliot Joseph, CEO of Hartford HealthCare.  "This collaboration also aligns with our vision to create a meaningful relationship with those we serve and become the trusted health care provider."

This is the second joint venture for Tufts Health Plan, having launched Tufts Health Freedom Plan in New Hampshire in 2015.

"Our partnership with Hartford HealthCare comes at a very important time in the quickly shifting health care landscape, where providing the highest quality care to our members while effectively managing costs is critical," said Tom Croswell, president and CEO of Tufts Health Plan. "Tufts Health Plan has been engaged in value-based models for more than 20 years, rooted in our Medicare Advantage business and now in place across all our business lines. We know health plan-provider collaborations can improve the experience for patients. We are excited to bring a new health plan choice to Medicare-eligible beneficiaries in Connecticut."

CarePartners of Connecticut will work closely with doctors and other providers in the network, sharing important health data. Striving to make health care less stressful, CarePartners of Connecticut will also develop programs and services so members can be healthy and independent:

• Wellness programs and educational resources will promote healthy lifestyles and solutions.
• Clinical teams will help members and caregivers navigate the healthcare system, which is particularly important for those living with chronic and complex health needs.
• A user-friendly patient portal will provide ready access to information.
• A statewide network of Connecticut providers is being established to provide comprehensive care to enrollees.

CarePartners of Connecticut will begin offering its Medicare Advantage plans to eligible seniors during the Annual Open Enrollment period which starts on October 15, 2018, pending approval from CMS.  To learn more, visit CarePartnersCT.com. 

About Tufts Health Plan
Tufts Health Plan is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing innovative, high-quality health care coverage.  Staying true to our mission of improving the health and wellness of the diverse communities we serve, we touch the lives of more than 1.1 million members in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire through employer-sponsored plans; Medicare; Medicaid and Marketplace plans, offering health insurance coverage across the life span regardless of age or circumstance.

We are continually among the top health plans in the country based on quality and member satisfaction:

• Our private HMO and Massachusetts PPO plans are rated 5 out of 5 and our Massachusetts Medicaid plan is rated 4.5 out of 5 by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.^[i]
• Our Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO and Senior Care Options plans received a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the highest rating possible.^[ii]

To learn more about how we're redefining what a health plan can do, visit tuftshealthplan.com/connections. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About Hartford HealthCare
Hartford HealthCare is Connecticut's most comprehensive health care network. Our fully integrated health system includes a tertiary-care teaching hospital, an acute-care community teaching hospital, an acute-care hospital and trauma center, three community hospitals, the state's most extensive behavioral health network, a large multispecialty physician group, a regional home care system, an array of senior care services, a large physical therapy and rehabilitation network and an accountable care organization. Through its institute model, Hartford HealthCare offers the highest standards of care for cancer, heart and vascular services, neuroscience, orthopedics and urology. Visit us at www.hartfordhealthcare.org

[i] The National Committee for Quality Assurance Private Health Insurance Plan Ratings and Medicaid Health Insurance Ratings 2017-2018. This rating references Tufts Health Plan's Massachusetts Medicaid plan.  Tufts Health Plan's Rhode Island Medicaid plan has not yet been rated. 

[ii] Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system. Star Ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next. For more information on plan ratings, go to www.medicare.gov. Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO plans received 5 out of 5 stars for contract years 2016 -2018.

SOURCE Tufts Health Plan