CIGNA and Piedmont Physicians Group Launch Accountable Care Organization Pilot Program in Atlanta for Better Care Coordination

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. & ATLANTA, Sep 07, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- --Program includes a registered nurse clinical care coordinator funded by CIGNA

--First accountable care organization in Georgia
CIGNA /quotes/comstock/13*!ci/quotes/nls/ci (CI 33.62, -0.14, -0.42%) and Piedmont Physicians Group, part of Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare, have launched an accountable care organization (ACO) pilot program. With a comprehensive, accountable and collaborative approach to medical care, the ACO pilot is expected to improve access to and quality of patient care, and provide better care coordination while lowering medical costs.

An ACO is a variation on the patient-centered medical home model of health care that rewards primary care doctors for improved outcomes and lower medical costs. CIGNA's program with Piedmont is one of the first patient-centered pilot programs in the Atlanta area involving a medical practice and a single private payer and is the first accountable care organization in Georgia.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cigna-and-piedmont-physicians-group-launch-accountable-care-organization-pilot-program-in-atlanta-for-better-care-coordination-2010-09-07?reflink=MW_news_stmp