The Spine and Joint Solution, a new initiative announced by United Healthcare, is a value-based bundled care payment for knee, hip, and spine procedures that aims to improve outcomes and reduce costs.

Via the solution, UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored plan participants have access to United Healthcare Centers of Excellence that accept bundled payments for certain procedures, including knee and hip replacement, spinal fusion, and spinal disc repair.

The UnitedHealthcare Centers of Excellence include more than 40 healthcare facilities in 25 markets across the country, with plans to increase to more than 40 markets during 2017, according to a media release from UnitedHealthcare.

The Spine and Joint Solution is available nationwide to large and midsize companies with self-funded health plans. Through the initiative, eligible employees may save more than $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs per procedure when accessing a participating facility rather than another in-network medical facility, the release adds.

“Knee, hip and spine surgeries are among of the fastest increasing categories of medical procedures, so this program provides a new way to help improve the quality of care, produce better outcomes for patients and better manage costs for employers,” said Sam Ho, MD, chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare, in the release.

“Providing the best outcomes and an exceptional patient experience in an affordable way are key to helping our patients live healthier lives. Employers seeking effective cost-containment strategies recognize the value of fixed and competitive prices,” states Tim Cappel, executive director of Population Health Management for Cincinnati’s The Christ Hospital, one of first facilities to participate in the Spine and Joint Solution.

[Source(s): UnitedHealthcare, Business Wire]