Premier, Inc. and Mathematica Policy Research Align to Support CMS’s Next Generation ACO Model

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Premier, Inc. (NASDAQ:PINC), a leading healthcare improvement company, and Mathematica Policy Research, a nonpartisan research firm, have partnered to create and implement a national learning system for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model.

The Next Generation ACO Model is an initiative for ACOs that are capable of coordinating care for populations of patients. The new model builds upon the experience that CMS has had with the Pioneer ACO model, the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and a new type of ACO focused on patients with advanced kidney disease. Premier will serve as Mathematica’s lead content partner on its contract with CMS, providing thought leadership and curriculum development, as well as implementing shared learning vehicles and disseminating best practices to support Next Generation ACO Model implementations for the 21 participating ACOs. The other partners participating in this project are HCMDM, HSAG, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Telligen.

“CMS’s Next Generation ACO Model includes the most advanced ACOs in the country,” said Joe Damore, vice president, population health management, Premier. “We’ve worked with more than 60 ACOs in implementing population health programs. Our team of seasoned ACO specialists coupled with Mathematica’s research, evaluation and project management expertise, is a powerful partnership with a proven success record. We are eager to help these ACOs succeed and see the innovations this Model brings to the market.”

Two years ago, Mathematica and Premier set out to create and implement a learning system for CMS’s Pioneer ACOs and End Stage Renal Disease Seamless Care Organizations. The learning system being created for Next Generation ACOs is informed by experience and expertise in developing and implementing curriculum for these other models.

Premier has been nationally recognized for helping healthcare providers create value-based care and alternative payment models. Its extensive knowledge of the clinical, financial, operational and strategic components required to develop and implement successful ACOs has helped Premier members generate significant shared savings and quality gains. This is a result of Premier’s one-on-one work with ACOs, as well as experiences and lessons learned from its Population Health Management (PHM) Collaborative, which helps hospitals and health systems improve the health status, care experience and per capita costs of their populations. In fact, nearly half of the CMS MSSP and Pioneer ACOs in Premier’s PHM collaborative qualified for shared savings in performance year 2014, nearly double the rate of non-Premier participants. 

About Premier, Inc.

Premier, Inc. (NASDAQ:PINC) is a leading healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of approximately 3,600 U.S. hospitals and 120,000 other providers to transform healthcare. With integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain solutions, and advisory and other services, Premier enables better care and outcomes at a lower cost. Premier, a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient, plays a critical role in the rapidly evolving healthcare industry, collaborating with members to co-develop long-term innovations that reinvent and improve the way care is delivered to patients nationwide. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Premier is passionate about transforming American healthcare. Please visit Premier’s news and investor sites on www.premierinc.com; as well as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and Premier’s blog for more information about the company.

CONTACT: Morgan Guthrie, Premier, Inc.; [email protected]; 704.816.4152