The importance of good health cannot be overstated. It plays a vital role in every aspect of your life and the lives of your family members. Because of this, your health care should be a top priority — and you should expect it to be a priority of your health care provider as well.
With Wellmark’s value-based care model, this is exactly what you’ll get. The model is designed with your needs in mind. It prioritizes quality care over quantity of care and has been proven effective at not only increasing healthy outcomes, but saving money as well.
What is value-based care?
Value-based care is the idea that higher-quality outcomes and lower costs can be achieved by making changes to the way health care is delivered.
Basically, rather than paying your doctor for the number of tests and services they order (whether they’re needed or not), we’re shifting the focus to compensating providers for keeping you healthy and providing effective and efficient care. It aims to transform health care from a system that treats disease to one that prevents disease and improves your overall health and well-being.
How does value-based care work?
When you select and visit a personal doctor who participates in value-based care, you are “attributed” to that provider, which means they are responsible for monitoring your care.
To help your personal doctor deliver the best possible care to you, Wellmark provides information that gives a full 360-degree view of your health.
For example:
- What other doctors or specialists you have visited
- What drugs you have been prescribed
- What treatments you have already received
With this information at their fingertips, your personal doctor can make better-informed decisions on services needed, diagnoses, medications, and other factors that contribute to your overall health and wellness.
The results?
When you see providers who participate in value-based care, you receive better directed care. In fact, Wellmark data shows this type of care has resulted in:
- 12 percent decrease in hospital admissions
- 22 percent decrease in hospital readmissions
- 11 percent decrease in emergency room visits
- 88 percent of members visiting their personal doctor
- Members taking advantage of preventive care — for example, 79 percent of members got their recommended mammograms
3 simple things you can do to benefit from value-based care
So, value-based care is a logical choice for your health and finances, but how can you make sure you’re taking advantage of these high-quality, well-informed providers?
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Choose and use a personal doctor
Building a trusting relationship with your personal doctor, or primary care provider, helps ensure you receive comprehensive, holistic care.
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Establish a home pharmacy and develop a relationship with your pharmacist
Your pharmacists not only fill your prescriptions, they monitor your medications to ensure they are taken safely, effectively, and appropriately to maintain your good health.
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Take advantage of regular, preventive care
Don't just wait until you’re sick to seek help, talk to your health care providers on a regular basis about what types of preventive tests or screenings you may need.
Ready to see value-based care in action?
Check out our value-based care stories to stay up-to-date on the best ways you can take advantage of this model and see how it has worked for other Wellmark members.
