Lutheran medical groups recognized for improving outcomes for Medicare Advantage members

11/17/2016

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Nov. 18, 2016) - Lutheran Health Physicians, an alliance of Lutheran Health Network-owned physician practices, has been recognized with the 2015 UnitedHealthcare PATH Excellence in Patient Service Award for its commitment to improving health outcomes for patients enrolled in UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage plans. Each affiliated group helped LHP earn the award by achieving performance metrics in the UnitedHealthcare PATH Program and successfully addressing care opportunities when treating UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage members.

The PATH Program annually rewards physicians who meet certain performance-based criteria, including achieving or exceeding targets established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for specific Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures. Examples of the quality measures used to evaluate care providers' performance in the 2015 PATH program include:

• the percentages of eligible UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members who received a breast cancer screening or colorectal cancer screening;
• the percentage of members with diabetes who received an eye exam; and,
• the percentage of members who received advice from their doctor to maintain or enhance their level of physical activity.

By achieving the PATH program's performance metrics, LHP also proactively addressed care opportunities for UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage members. A care opportunity exists when an individual hasn't received a healthcare service or medication recommended based on his or her age or health status. In 2015, care providers nationwide participating in the PATH program addressed nearly 1.8 million care opportunities for UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage members.

"We are grateful for Lutheran Health Physicians' efforts to ensure our Medicare Advantage members receive the preventive health care services they need," said Efrem Castillo, M.D., chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement. "These awards are one of the ways we are supporting the transition to a value-based health care system that rewards physicians for the quality of care they deliver to the people we serve."

Serving one in five Medicare beneficiaries, UnitedHealthcare is the largest business dedicated to the health and well-being needs of seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries.

Lutheran Health Physicians is made up of Bluffton Medical Group, Dukes Medical Group, Kosciusko Medical Group, Lutheran Medical Group and St. Joseph Medical Group. LHP consists of more than 300 providers who practice medicine at 80 northern Indiana locations.

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