Regence BlueShield of Idaho and Saint Alphonsus Health Alliance announce new value-based provider network health plans for members in 2021

(NewMediaWire) – October 19, 2020 – BOISE, Idaho – Regence BlueShield of Idaho is announcing a new value-based provider network arrangement for members with Saint Alphonsus Health Alliance (SAHA) as part of a larger commitment to transform how Idahoans experience health care.

The SAHA network will be available across eight counties in southwest Idaho starting Jan. 1, 2021, for Regence individual members enrolled on or off the Your Health Idaho Exchange as well as employers with 50 or fewer employees. As part of the new value-based arrangement, Regence and SAHA will share expertise and resources to improve care coordination, data analysis, and other actions to deliver higher-quality, lower-cost patient care.

Key SAHA providers are located in Ada, Canyon, Boise, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, Valley and Washington counties. The value-focused option, of course, continues to afford access to Saint Alphonsus’ Level II Trauma Center, the only facility of its kind in southwest Idaho, and its unique Women’s Heart Program. 

“This new network plan builds on the longtime partnership between SAHA and Regence to best serve the local health care needs of Idahoans across the region,” says Dr. Amy Khan, executive medical director of Regence BlueShield of Idaho. “Our two organizations, along with many others across the state, must continue to work together to drive care quality and lower costs for Regence members, their families and Idaho employers with Regence coverage. This is about improving how health care is experienced overall, which also includes doctors, specialists and other providers.”

“SAHA and Regence have a long track record of successful collaboration to ensure that Idahoans across the Treasure Valley retain access to high quality, cost-effective care, says Dr. John Redding, Saint Alphonsus Health Alliance President. “We are excited to be increasing the depth and breadth of our partnership with Regence BlueShield of Idaho. This will allow us to further align and leverage our unique resources and skillsets to meet the most pressing healthcare needs of the communities we serve and the individuals who reside within them.”

Announcing the new SAHA network plan is the latest chapter in Regence’s leadership with value-based agreements, which dates back to 2013 and incentivizes provider payments based on quality versus quantity of care with the goal of improving member health, lowering overall costs and driving provider collaboration to achieve more efficient and effective care. Network designs like this have been shown to improve care outcomes and deliver savings over more traditional provider payment models. Additional benefits include greater patient satisfaction and care gap closures, as well as lower patient admissions, costs, catastrophic spend and opioid prescriptions.

About Regence BlueShield of Idaho

Regence BlueShield of Idaho, based in Lewiston, has been serving Idahoans for 74 years with comprehensive health insurance solutions. As a nonprofit mutual insurance company and independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers in Idaho and nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com, facebook.com/regenceblueshieldofidaho or twitter.com/regenceidaho.