BCBS Western New York – CCGroup: New Apex Network to Debut January 2021

BCBS Western New York – CCGroup: New Apex Network to Debut January 2021

Date:
September 24, 2020

BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York is offering a new plan to small groups for January 2021 that will include a network of high-performing provider practices. Only small groups (1-100 members) in Erie and Niagara Counties will have the option to choose Apex.

The network will be limited to only the highest performing primary care physicians (PCPs) and specialty groups who practice in those same counties. Not all specialty groups will be limited, in order to ensure that patients have adequate access to a variety of providers.

The limited network includes:

  • Top 40% of Erie and Niagara County primary care network groups (based on quality and efficiency, as measured in BestPractice)
  • Top 90% of all Erie and Niagara County specialty groups (based on Cave Consulting Group analytics)  

Providers will receive a contract amendment to Attachment A of our standard provider agreement by December 1, 2020. The amended Attachment A will indicate whether a provider is included in the Apex network. 

Cave analytics

Cave Consulting Group is an independent company focused on improving effectiveness (quality-of-care) and efficiency (cost-of-care) in the health care delivery system. Health plans throughout the nation use their comprehensive analytical tools to generate practice-level reports. Cave produces reports that analyze our claims data to provide a better understanding of area specialty provider quality and cost.

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BCBS Western New York – Provider Insights with Cave Analytics Reports

BCBS Western New York – Provider Insights with Cave Analytics Reports

Date:
August 28, 2020

BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York has partnered with Cave Analytics to help us objectively share quality and cost information – based on claims data – with our network of providers. With this new partnership, we seek to offer transparency and information that benefits both providers and patients.   

About Cave 

Cave Consulting Group, Inc. (CCGroup, Inc.) is an independent company focused on improving effectiveness (quality-of-care) and efficiency (cost-of-care) in the health care delivery system. Health plans throughout the nation use their comprehensive analytical tools to generate practice-level reports. 

Cave Specialty Care Reports

Cave produces reports that analyze our claims data to provide you with a better understanding of area specialty provider quality and cost. The reports give specialty providers insights into the care they’re providing and help PCPs make informed referral decisions for their patients. 

Click here for additional information.

About 30% of Specialists Are Not ‘Outlier Providers’ and Should Receive Relaxed Prior Authorization or Be Gold-Carded

About 30% of Specialists Are Not ‘Outlier Providers’ and Should Receive Relaxed Prior Authorization or Be Gold-Carded

SAN MATEO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Cave Consulting Group, Inc. (CCGroup) has determined that 30% of specialists should receive relaxed prior authorization and utilization management (PA/UM). At issue is that many health plans and other payers have yet-to-implement an evidence-based, clinical decision support system to gold card network specialists.

Read full article here.

Is Kaiser Permanente Health Plan More Efficient Than Competing Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Plans and Regional Health Plans?

Is Kaiser Permanente Health Plan More Efficient Than Competing Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Plans and Regional Health Plans?

SAN MATEO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Cave Consulting Group, Inc. (CGroup), the market leader in reliably measuring physician and health system efficiency for several decades, is answering this question using results from the company’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovator Project. The CCGroup Innovator Project allows access to all Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) and Medicare Advantage (MA) claims through the CMS Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC) – including all acute care, post-acute care, physician visits, physician procedures, and pharmacy services for more than 60 million individuals each year. This includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

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CCGroup to Utilize National CMS Medicare Claims to Support Value-Based Agreements Between Health Plans and Health Systems

CCGroup to Utilize National CMS Medicare Claims to Support Value-Based Agreements Between Health Plans and Health Systems

SAN MATEO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CCGroup, the market leader in reliably measuring physician efficiency, supports key components of value-based agreements using the company’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovator project. The CCGroup Innovator project allows access to all Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) claims through the CMS Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC) – including all acute care, post-acute care, physician visits, physician procedures, and pharmacy services for more than 38 million individuals each year. This includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Read full article here.

CCGroup Receives Access to National CMS Medicare Claims to Improve Physician and Hospital Efficiency of Care

CCGroup Receives Access to National CMS Medicare Claims to Improve Physician and Hospital Efficiency of Care

SAN MATEO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CCGroup, the market innovator and leader in reliably measuring physician efficiency, is pleased to announce that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved our Innovator project to access all Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) claims through the CMS Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC). With this distinction, CCGroup gains access to all acute care, post-acute care, physician visits, physician procedures, and pharmacy services for more than 38 million individuals each year. This includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

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Cave Consulting Group (“CCGroup”) Success Stories on Healthcare Clinical Transformation

Cave Consulting Group (“CCGroup”) Success Stories on Healthcare Clinical Transformation

SAN MATEO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CCGroup published a 2016 press release stating that nationally over 230,000 primary care physicians (PCPs) and specialists are evaluated based on achieving acceptable clinical protocol ranges in treating medical conditions, or Clinical MedMarker Protocol Ranges™. “CCGroup works with CCGroup National Specialist Panels to develop and maintain the Clinical MedMarker Protocol Ranges™, which are achievable, appropriate ranges of clinical practice. This effort with our panels helps to ensure the validity of established Clinical MedMarker Protocol Ranges™,” stated Dr. Douglas G. Cave, President of CCGroup.”

Read full article here.