Regence and Legacy Health’s new partnership to deliver cost-effective, high-quality care

Rising health care costs continue to be a critical issue for patients, families and employers.

To combat this growing issue, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and Legacy Health have announced a new partnership focused on creating a seamless, more accessible health care experience. Called Legacy Health Partners (LHP), the new provider network combines the expertise of the health plan and network providers to improve care for Oregonians.

A different kind of network of doctors, specialists and health care excellence

Available starting Jan. 1, 2021, in the Portland metro area and Clark County, Wash., the LHP network will deliver improved care coordination, enhanced data sharing, designated customer service support, targets for care quality, and streamlined operational efficiencies.

“Partnering with Regence to create the Legacy Health Partners network brings together a wealth of coordinated care support and locally based expertise,” said Merrin Permut, Legacy Health vice president, population health and payor strategy. “A clinically integrated network of nearly 2,600 physicians across six hospitals, over 70 primary care and specialty outpatient care locations, as well as dedicated children’s care offered at Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel, all working together means lower costs and higher quality”

The LHP network offers both competitive premiums in market for employers along with high-quality, cost-effective care options for members. LHP will be available for both employers with 50 or fewer employees, as well as individual health plan members on or off the Exchange.

“Oregonians will be able to access an improved health care experience that combines lower costs and more efficient care delivery through this new partnership with Legacy,” says Dr. Drew Oliveira, senior executive medical director at Regence. “It’s critical to have providers and health plans working together to truly increase value, lower costs and make a real difference for our members.”

Building on Regence’s leadership in value-based provider partnerships

The LHP network builds on Regence’s ten-year history of working with providers on value-based care, a model based on paying providers on care quality and member results rather than the volume of care provided.  

“We regularly hear how rising costs and disjointed operations are making health care harder for our members, employers and the broader community,” says Angela Dowling, president of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon. “Partnering with Legacy aligns with our vision of shifting health care costs away from pay-for-service and toward pay-for-value.”

Across Oregon, 40% of Regence members’ health care dollars are paid through value-based arrangements with providers, resulting in members receiving more care from their primary care providers, along with fewer hospital admissions and emergency room visits.  

“When creating a network of doctors, specialists and other care professionals, we need to focus on improving the patient experience—health care at the human level,” said Kristie Putnam, vice president of provider partnership innovation at Regence. “This means driving better, more consistent care to address issues of cost and help people get the right care when they need it. Our new partnership with Legacy is a natural evolution of this work, driving more effective and affordable care throughout the greater Portland area.”