Henry Ford, HAP to Participate in National Medicare Cancer Care Initiative

Oncology Care Model

Henry Ford, HAP Selected to Participate in New National Medicare Cancer Care Initiative

DETROIT – Henry Ford Medical Group and Health Alliance Plan (HAP), part of Henry Ford Health System, are among a select group of practices and payors nationwide to be selected to participate in a new Medicare initiative called the Oncology Care Model

(OCM). This new program aims to provide patients with higher quality and more highly coordinated cancer chemotherapy care.

Henry Ford Medical Group was chosen as a participating medical group practice, and HAP was chosen as a participating health plan for the OCM through a competitive national application process.

“The Oncology Care Model offers an incredible opportunity to further enhance the care we provide to our cancer patients and HAP members receiving chemotherapy at Henry Ford,” says medical oncologist Robert Chapman, M.D., who is the project director for the OCM project at Henry Ford.

“Our goal with the OCM is for patients to experience fewer treatment complications, have improved access to clinical care and care coordination services, have fewer unplanned ER visits and hospital admissions, and enjoy better quality of life.”

With high-quality and patient-centered cancer care practices in already place, Henry Ford is uniquely positioned to participate in the OCM and provide highly coordinated care.

These practices include: robust patient navigation care coordination teams; electronic medical records; an active clinical trials program; 24/7 access to a clinician with real-time access to the patient’s medical records; same-day clinics and e-visits; and the use of nationally recognized guidelines to create chemotherapy care tailored to individual patients.

Adding to its advanced care options, Henry Ford announced a partnership today with Syapse, the leading precision medicine software company, to launch a precision medicine program. The program will revolutionize cancer care by offering targeted, patient-center cancer treatments to Henry Ford patients in Detroit and beyond.

Under OCM, Henry Ford will further improve upon and grow its current practices to offer patients enhanced care services as they undergo chemotherapy treatment for certain cancer types. Medicare will continue to cover all medically necessary services.

Additionally, Henry Ford will regularly receive information from Medicare on the quality of care it is providing to its patients.

CMS also will provide each participating OCM practice with additional monthly payments to invest in expanded supportive services for patients, in addition to regular fee-for-service payments for clinical services.  

“As a participating health plan, HAP will support this innovative approach to oncology care management by funding practice management payments and rewarding participating OCM providers for demonstrating value-based care to our HAP Medicare members undergoing chemotherapy,” said John Calabria, HAP senior medical director. “HAP also will provide critical data to OCM practices that will help them impact the cost and quality metrics necessary to demonstrate success.”

OCM was developed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Center to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of specialty care by using an innovative new payment model for physician practices administering chemotherapy.

The OCM 5-year model performance period will begin July 1, 2016 at select Henry Ford infusion sites.

Henry Ford’s participating OCM infusion sites are located at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Henry Ford Medical Center-Columbus in Novi, Henry Ford Medical Center-Cottage in Grosse Pointe, Henry Ford Medical Center-Fairlane in Dearborn, and Henry Ford Medical Center-Brownstown.

More information about cancer diagnosis, treatment and care services provided by Henry Ford.

To learn more about HAP.

MEDIA CONTACT
Krista Boyer, Henry Ford Health System:
(313) 874-7207
kboyer1@hfhs.org