BOSTON — March 24, 2014 — Mount Auburn Cambridge Independent Practice Association (MACIPA), which includes many physicians associated with Mount Auburn Hospital and Cambridge Health Alliance, has announced it has joined the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) Medicare HMO Blue (HMO) and Medicare PPO Blue (PPO) provider networks.
As of March 1, BCBSMA Medicare Advantage members can now see any of the more than 500 physicians associated with MACIPA. MACIPA was founded in 1985 and their mission is to lead its member physicians by educating and supporting them, representing their interests so that they deliver the highest quality care at appropriate cost in a manner that maximizes physician and patient satisfaction. MACIPA was one of the first physician groups to join BCBSMA's Alternative Quality Contract (AQC) in 2009. The AQC pays doctors and hospitals based on the quality and outcome of the care they provide to patients. The AQC is designed to improve the quality of care BCBSMA HMO members receive and cut current annual medical cost trends in half.
"Mount Auburn Cambridge Independent Practice Association is associated with some of the most renowned physicians in the world, and we are truly thrilled about this new partnership," said Ken Arruda, Executive Director of Medicare Markets for BCBSMA. "Our Medicare members in the Cambridge area now have more physician choice with this award-winning doctors group, already known by our commercial customers for delivering high quality and affordable health care."
BCBSMA offers the nation's top-ranked Medicare PPO plan in the country and is among the highest-rated Medicare HMO plans in the nation, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)1. The company recently announced a robust suite of affordable options available for Medicare beneficiaries in 2014.
"We share the Blue Cross vision of making quality health care affordable," said Barbara Spivak, M.D., MACIPA President. "We are pleased to be able to continue collaborating with Blue Cross on improving quality. Our doctors are very excited about being able to see Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Medicare members."
BCBSMA continues to be a trusted market leader in Massachusetts for people with Medicare, and serves more than 280,000 members. BCBSMA was recently accredited a 4.5 Star overall2 rating on both its HMO and PPO plans by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and achieved a 5 Star Customer Service rating.
To learn more about BCBSMA's Medicare coverage options and a list of covered medications, visit: www.bluecrossma.com/medicare or call 1-800-678-2265(TTY: 1-800-522-1254), from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., seven days a week. Medicare beneficiaries can also contact CMS for additional information by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or a Serving the Health Information Needs of Everyone (SHINE) counselor can be reached by calling 1-800-243-4636.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.com) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are the trusted health plan for more than 31,500 Massachusetts employers and are committed to working with others in a spirit of shared responsibility to make quality health care affordable. Consistent with our corporate promise to always put our 2.8 million members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Linkedin
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is a HMO and PPO Plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts depends on contract renewal. The benefit information provided is a brief summary, not a complete description of benefits. For more information contact the plan. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply. Benefits, formulary, pharmacy network, premium and/or co-payments/co-insurance may change on January 1 of each year. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium.
About Mount Auburn Cambridge Independent Practice Association, Inc.
Mount Auburn Cambridge Independent Practice Association, Inc. (http://www.macipa.com) is a physician membership organization, established in 1985. Over 500 physicians who have privileges at Mount Auburn Hospital or the Cambridge Health Alliance are members of MACIPA. Most of the physicians are in small private practices, some are in practices owned by Mount Auburn Hospital or Cambridge Health Alliance. Physicians are located in offices in Cambridge, Belmont, Watertown, Waltham, Somerville, Lexington, Medford, and Arlington, Massachusetts. MACIPA provides support systems to help physicians manage the many new expectations of them including population management, quality improvement, electronic health records, health information exchange and more.
1NCQA's Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2013-2014 - Medicare
2Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system. Star Ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next.
Y0014_1411 Accepted 03172014