Aetna and Meridian team up to form ACO

Aetna and Meridian Health announced this week that the companies have collaborated on a co-branded, commercial, product-based accountable care organization (ACO) agreement.

The contract is being handled by Meridian Health Partners and provides companies in New Jersey’s Monmouth and Ocean counties a model designed to improve health-care quality, efficiency and patient understanding. Doctors who belong to the Meridian Health Partners, employed at Meridian hospitals or associated with subsidiary providers and independent physicians in these counties are included in the ACO.

The new plan, which is being classified as a commercial health-care plan, will be known as Aetna Whole Health—Meridian Health. It will allow members of Aetna to access coordinated care provided by Meridian Health Partners physicians. Employer group health-care savings will vary. Self-insured businesses in Monmouth and Oceans counties and customers who are fully insured will be able to utilize the plan by July 1. The plan is expected to be expanded into other New Jersey counties by Aetna in the future.

The Aetna Whole Health—Meridian Health network encompasses more than 200 primary care physicians, more than 700 specialists and six hospitals.