Montefiore Medical Center is collaborating with UnitedHealthcare to provide enhanced, coordinated care to more than 9,000 New York residents enrolled in UnitedHealthcare's employer-sponsored health plans, including Oxford Health-branded plans. The collaboration focuses on prevention, improved coordination and well-managed care. Montefiore will share in the generated savings with UnitedHealthcare and reinvest those funds back into the system to ensure patients continue to receive the right care at the right time in the right place.

"We pride ourselves on our ability to provide best-in-class coordinated and compassionate care when and where people need it most through Montefiore's extensive network of employed and affiliated community-based, private practice physicians," said Stephen Rosenthal, vice president, network management, Montefiore. "Working with UnitedHealthcare enhances our ability to address patients' complex medical needs and allows for improved outcomes and patient satisfaction while making healthcare more affordable."

For nearly 20 years, Montefiore has provided innovative services and interventions to help patients manage their care and achieve optimal health. Montefiore currently manages the care of nearly 300,000 people, and the medical center was designated as the only Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) in New York by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Montefiore achieved the highest performance in year one among the 32 Pioneer ACOs through increased patient engagement and coordination; preventive, patient-centered care; and collaborative efforts with the practicing physician community.

UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored plan participants who currently receive care from Montefiore-affiliated care providers will not have to do anything differently to receive the benefits of these agreements, which include enhanced care coordination and follow-up.

"UnitedHealthcare continues to work with care providers statewide to help enhance health services and improve coordination of care for patients," said Michael McGuire, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of New York and New Jersey. "We believe our collaboration with Montefiore Medical Center will deliver enhanced quality, better outcomes and greater efficiency for our health plan customers in New Jersey."

Today, more than $30 billion of UnitedHealthcare's annual physician and hospital reimbursements are tied to accountable care programs, centers of excellence and performance-based programs. The company projects this will reach $65 billion by 2018. For more information about UnitedHealthcare's accountable care initiatives, visit www.AccountableCareAnswers.com