According to the 2014 TMA Survey of Texas Physicians, approximately two-thirds of Texas physicians work for themselves or in practices that are wholly owned and controlled by other physicians. Most of these independent physicians traditionally have not had access to the tools and resources needed to participate in an ACO.
To help address this, the Texas Medical Association (TMA) and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) are partnering on a first-of-its kind joint effort to offer physicians ACO options to remain independent. TMA PracticeEdge will leverage the strengths of TMA’s statewide physician membership and BCBSTX’s resources to benefit the entire Texas health care community, including patients, hospitals, payers, and other physicians. Physicians in the program will be able to take advantage of access to enhanced patient care tools and resources so they can better provide cost-effective patient care.
While most ACOs are constrained to a specific healthcare system, TMA PracticeEdge will help connect physicians centered on the needs of their specific patients. PracticeEdge will offer participating physicians several services, including:
– Consultations to help reduce administrative burdens so they can spend more time focusing on patient care.
– Help for practices wishing to create care management teams to better serve patients with complex or chronic health problems.
“This represents a significant investment in our relationship with the TMA and Texas physicians, and will benefit our members, who value their relationships with their independent physicians,” said Bert Marshall, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.
TMA’s membership includes more than 48,000 Texas physicians and medical students. BCBSTX serves more than 5 million members in all 254 Texas counties.
