The two parties confirmed they had approved an understanding - reported last month by the Globe - that would pare anticipated Blue Cross reimbursements to Partners by nearly a quarter of a billion dollars between 2012 and 2014. The parties renegotiated the third year of an existing contract to reduce anticipated payments by $80 million next year and agreed to similar trims in payments during the second and third year of a new contract, for a total savings of $240 million.
The money represents about 3 percent of the insurance reimbursements Partners could have been expected to receive - more than $2.5 billion a year. Under the deal, annual rate increases that were projected at 5 to 6 percent for the next three years will be lowered to between 2 and 3 percent.
“We’re getting substantially less than we anticipated getting,’’ said Gary L. Gottlieb, Partners chief executive. “In a broader sense, this is a sign there’s a pretty dynamic market in health care right now, and the market is working. The effect will be to help slow the growth of health care costs for employers and their employees and their families.’’
Barbara Anthony, the state’s undersecretary of consumer affairs and business regulation, who had called on high-cost health care providers - such as Partners - to reopen contracts to reduce premiums, said Patrick administration officials want to examine the contract and make sure savings are passed on to individuals and employers. “What we want carriers and providers to wrap their minds around is no increases, or even decreases, in premiums,’’ she said.
Under the agreement, Partners agreed to participate in Blue Cross’s alternative quality contract, a so-called global payment that gives health care providers a budget for patient care and incentives for healthy outcomes rather than billing for each visit and procedure. Gottlieb said the new contract will give Partners hospitals the flexibility to experiment with different ways to provide medical care, such as more in-home care for older patients.
