Florida Blue and HOPCo Team Up to Make Musculoskeletal Care More Affordable

Managing costs for treatment of bone, muscle and ligament injuries and disorders.

As you know, rising health care costs is a nationwide problem that prevents many individuals from receiving the care they need. That’s why Florida Blue has taken another step to address affordability by partnering with Healthcare Outcomes Performance Company (HOPCo), the leading provider of musculoskeletal care. This collaboration is an effort to lower the costs of muscle and ligament injuries, disorders and treatment of bones.

Musculoskeletal Care Can Add Up
According to a report by the U.S. Bone and Join Initiative, an estimated 126 million Americans are affected by a musculoskeletal condition. The report estimates costs exceeding $200 billion each year for related treatment, medical care and lost wages.

The partnership will initially focus on enhancing the quality and efficiency of care to Florida Blue's members being treated by HOPCo’s network of health care providers for the most common bone and joint repair procedures. Florida Blue members will be able to receive high care and quality from a plethora of HOPCo's health care providers for standard joint procedures at an affordable cost.

So, What Do We Mean By “Musculoskeletal?”
Musculoskeletal involves both our muscles and skeleton within our bodies that allows for movement and stability. Common disorders that individuals experience include tendonitis and arthritis to name a few. However, the one thing they have in common is the condition targets an individual’s bone, ligament and joints.  It typically arrives after an unusual activity, causing a sudden sharp pain that can be long lasting.

Putting Value-Based Care Front & Center
Value-based care is a shift from traditional fee-for-service arrangements in which doctors get paid based on the service they perform. Instead, value-based programs are patient-centered and reward doctors for patient outcomes, the quality of the service provided, and their ability to help our members to get and stay healthy. This leads to lower costs, higher quality and a better patient experience—all of which both Florida Blue and HOPCo are committed to.

“Treatment of bone, muscle and ligament injuries and conditions accounts for a significant portion of health care costs each year for Florida Blue and our members,” says Phil Lee, Vice President, Strategic Provider Partnerships at Florida Blue. “By working with [HOPCo], we look to expand our partnership with musculoskeletal providers to not only slow rising health care costs, but also enable healthier lives for our members for our members.”

To learn more about HOPCo, visit www.hopco.com.