ATLANTA-Emory University System of Health Care has signed a letter of intent to jointly seek managed-care contracts with the Orthopaedic Alliance, a group of 85 orthopedic physicians throughout nine counties of the city's metropolitan area. The alliance includes Georgia Hand and Microsurgery, Atlanta Orthopaedic Associates, and Marietta Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine. Nineteen orthopedic surgeons from Emory's medical school also will participate in the agreement. The deal is an effort to attract more managed-care contracts by offering wider geographic coverage. Emory said it will benefit from gaining access to specialty carve-out agreements signed between the alliance and managed-care organizations, while the alliance will now be able to participate in systemwide deals. Emory said it has formed a similar partnership with a group of community physicians and another with a group of multispecialty physicians. The system said it plans to affiliate with additional primary-care and specialty groups, including an OB/GYN network and another multispecialty group.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.-Healthsource Tennessee and Healthsource Provident Administrators have awarded preferred provider contracts to three home-care companies. The managed-care plans chose Atlanta-based Housecall Medical Resources, the home-care division of Nashville-based Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp., and Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Apria Healthcare Group to serve 200,000 of their PPO enrollees and 100,000 of their HMO enrollees in the state. The home-care companies will provide at-home nursing, hospice, respiratory and infusion therapy services.
