Aetna partners with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on health care organization

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is working with health care provider Aetna to improve the quality of health care and reduce costs.

The new system will be called an "accountable care organization" (ACO), making this the first time that Aetna has arranged an ACO agreement with a pediatric unit.

“The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is committed to exploring new and innovative relationships that enable families throughout our service area to benefit from the world-class pediatric care that they can only receive at CHOP,” Matthew Cook, executive vice president of strategic planning and business development at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said. “This agreement with Aetna will be of great benefit to their subscriber families and we are gratified to join Aetna in this effort.”

The contract covers Aetna members under the age of 19 who are serviced by CHOP doctors and are located in the five counties around Burlington, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. The ACO agreement will ensure patients receive a value-based pay model instead of paying a fee for a service.

“Aetna is engaging in hospital collaborations that promote coordinated, high-quality care, and an improved patient experience at lower costs,” Laurie Brubaker, president of Aetna’s Pennsylvania operations, said. “We’re delighted to work with CHOP to achieve those goals for our members in the Philadelphia area."