Well this is a new press release that came out and gee I thought everyone today was high performance so where are the low performance folks? I guess those are the ones who are not under contract? 
The official name is “SignatureValue Alliance” in California so I guess this means the doctors and hospitals have signed on the dotted line <grin>. It mentions evidence based medicine and for what I see most are already practicing that way and have for years. The rating algorithms come in here and again we all know how ratings go these days and depends on who’s algorithms are being use and the integrity of the data collected along with accuracy.
Being this is in California it kind of looks like a revival of the old PacifiCare HMO type of contract if you ask me. United bought them years ago and tons of Orange County employers were strapped a while back to find new HMO insurance policies for employees as the rates when up quite a bit. This goes back to 2010 with HMO agreements. Beckman was given as one of many companies who were scrambling.
Employers in Orange County Looking for New HMO Contracts as St. Josephs and Some Others Begin Cancelling Agreements with Pacificare (UnitedHeatlhCare) – Employer Capitation Contracts
With this new plan several IPAs are already enrolled including Monarch Healthcare which they own.
United Healthcare Acquisition of Monarch Healthcare HMO Already Causing Confusion and Access Problems for Blue Shield Patients in Orange County
Again it sounds like a version of Pacificare all over again and ratings doesn’t make much difference anymore as so many reports are skewed as sometimes it’s like comparing Apples to Oranges as demographics and other such items can’t play out fair for all. If you read here often enough then you know for an example how bad the data was and may still be on HealthGrades as I found my former doctor who had been dead for 8 years still alive and kicking on their ratings.
“High-performance networks, which include physicians rated both on quality and efficiency measures, are becoming increasingly popular as a way to improve outcomes and more effectively manage costs.”
I wonder if the hearing aides are coming next to California too? In looking at all the insurance first quarter reports all seem to be down except United so I guess marketing, algorithms and huge slew of subsidiaries works for shareholders. BD
United HealthCare Gets In the Medical Device Business–Distributing Cheap Hearing Aides Sold Via Hi HealthInnovations Division –Subsidiary Watch
UnitedHealthcare is offering "SignatureValue Alliance" in California, a new health benefits plan featuring high-performance care provider networks committed to delivering effective, evidence-based and cost-efficient care.
The SignatureValue Alliance plan enables employers and plan participants to save on their health care costs through lower premiums while still having access to a wide range of traditional and deductible HMO plans.
The Alliance network includes six large physician groups in Southern California and parts of Northern California that include 90 hospitals and about 26,000 physicians and specialists. Participating Alliance physician groups include: HealthCare Partners Medical Group, Heritage Provider Network, Monarch HealthCare Medical Group, PrimeCare Medical Group, Sante Community Physicians, and Scripps Health.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/unitedhealthcare-offers-new-health-plan-featuring-high-performance-networks-in-california-2012-05-03
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