HARTFORD, Conn. — Aetna announced Monday that it will scale the Aetna Clinical Collaboration (ACC) program to ten hospitals by year-end, with implementations underway with AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, Houston Methodist and WakeMed Health & Hospitals. The ACC program brings Aetna nurses together with hospital staff, working side-by-side to help Medicare Advantage members get the care and support they need to remain healthy when they return home from the hospital or make the transition into a skilled nursing facility.
“Hospital discharge is one the most important—and vulnerable—moments in a patient’s journey,” said Dr. Ben Kornitzer, senior vice president and Aetna Chief Medical Officer. “Patients may be managing new diagnoses, complex medications, and follow-up needs, all while coping with the stress of transitioning back home or to a new facility. By embedding Aetna nurses within hospitals, we’re partnering with care teams to ensure that members are supported every step of the way and have the right services to stay well and avoid complications that could lead to readmission.”
Hospital re-admissions happen more often among older populations, with nearly 20 percent of Medicare-insured patients who are hospitalized being readmitted within 30 days of being discharged.* The ACC program aims to improve care outcomes for Aetna Medicare Advantage members, reducing their 30-day readmission rates and emergency room visits while also easing the administrative load on hospitals and clinical personnel.
The first ACC program was implemented earlier this year, with approximately 1 in 4 program members already actively engaged with an Aetna care manager. Once fully implemented at scale, the ACC program is projected to reduce year-over-year 30-day readmissions and hospital length of stay by five percent.
