Alera Health Announces Affiliated Network Providers (ANP) To Assume Clinical and Fiscal Responsibility For 22,500 Mercy Care Members Diagnosed with Comorbid Medical and Behavioral Health Conditions

Partnering with Alera Health, ANP will create an integrated system of care that accelerates access, improves member engagement, and lowers total cost of care.

PHOENIX, July 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Alera Health in conjunction with Affiliated Network Providers, LLC (ANP), a high-performance network of integrated behavioral health, medical, and social care providers, today announced the launch of a new Alternative Payment Model (APM) with Mercy Care that will coordinate behavioral, social, and medical care for members with serious mental illness/substance use disorders.

Members with serious mental illness/substance use disorders are 11 times less likely to receive preventative medical screening, resulting in a 25-year reduction in life expectancy and 12 times more cost in emergency room and inpatient settings. “While behavioral health providers have provided care to this population for decades, we are excited to work with Mercy Care to align incentives for ANP to coordinate the behavioral, medical, and social care for these members,” stated Shar Najafi-Piper, PhD and CEO of COPA Health. “ANP will serve as the ‘quarterback’ of care to ensure the care team is working together to improve member health outcomes while lowering cost.”

One in eight Emergency Department (ED) patients present for behavioral health issues and an additional 68% present with polychronic medical and behavioral health issues with a total cost of care 3.5 times greater than average.

ANP is bringing together a multi-specialty integrated system of care to make care convenient and proactive, removing obstacles that limit member engagement in preventative care and treatment. Leveraging Alera Health’s Care Optimization System, the member’s care team can share referrals, clinical information, and care alerts while the patient can use the ONEtouch mobile app to schedule appointments and connect with a clinician in times of crisis.

ANP will earn incentives for improving quality of care and lowering the overall costs of care. “This innovative collaboration by the ANP entities is groundbreaking in the delivery of care and services to the people who need it. We’re excited about the possibilities and what this could mean as we work together to build a healthier community,” said Tad Gary, Deputy CEO, Mercy Care.

Affiliated Network Providers, LLC (ANP) was organized as a clinically integrated network in 2022 to provide integrated, coordinated care for patients suffering from primary and secondary behavioral health conditions and living in central Arizona. The ANP network (including COPA Health, Southwest Network, Lifewell, La Frontera-Empact, Horizon Health and Wellness, Terros Health, and Community Bridges) provides a multi-disciplinary array of services, including psychiatry, therapy, primary care, care management, crisis services, residential, housing, and social services.

Mercy Care is a not-for-profit Medicaid managed-care health plan, serving AHCCCS members in Arizona since 1985. Mercy Care is a local company sponsored by Dignity Health and Ascension Health. Mercy Care provides access to physical and behavioral health care services for Medicaid-eligible families, children, seniors, and individuals with developmental/cognitive disabilities.

Alera Health, a national leader in Population Health Management and Integrated Care, works closely with healthcare payers, providers, and community partners to operationalize and manage high-performance ONEcare networks delivering comprehensive, inclusive, and informed whole person care designed to improve health outcomes and reduce costs. Alera Health has extensive operational expertise in developing clinically integrated networks, population health analytics, care coordination technologies, and clinical quality improvement programs. Each ONEcare network is augmented by the Care Optimization System which allows real-time communication, referrals, and mobile patient engagement. With over 3 million managed lives across the US, ONEcare networks diverted over 250,000 unnecessary inpatient bed days in 2022 while lowering 30-day readmission rates by over 50%. Visit www.alerahealth.com to learn more.