DENVER, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Aspen Group, a nonprofit organization of our nation's health care leaders representing over 100 million consumers, is pleased to see the launch of the "Primary Care First" and "Direct Contracting" models announced this week by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). The pilots were discussed at an event held at the American Medical Association in Washington, D.C., where leadership from Health and Human Services, including Secretary Alex Azar, Administrator Seema Verma and Director of CMMI Adam Boehler spent time discussing the newly launched models of care which place an emphasis on primary care, complex chronic diseases and advanced illness.

The pilots aim to allow for practitioners in a variety of settings and geographies to better manage their patients' care by emphasizing outcomes while improving quality and reducing the total cost of care.

"We applaud CMMI's efforts to move our health care system toward high-value, high-quality care, particularly for those with complex chronic diseases," said Kent Thiry, co-chair of the Aspen Group, and chairman and CEO of DaVita, a leading provider of kidney care services, operating in the United States and 10 other countries. "The Aspen Group is proud to have worked closely with leadership from HHS over the past year and we look forward to continuing to partner to make a significant impact for those patients who need it the most."

The Aspen Group represents uniquely experienced leaders from across the health care landscape who strive for a healthier America. In addition to Thiry, leaders of the Aspen Group include CEOs from other major health care companies including health insurers, provider organizations, medical device manufacturers, consumer organizations, and policy leaders such as former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.

"It is reassuring to see major investments being made in primary care which is on the front line of our communities and patients' lives," said Frist, who is also a co-chair of the Aspen Group.

About the Aspen Group
The Aspen Group is a nonprofit organization of health care leaders who aim to develop and promote meaningful solutions that advance the health and health care of all Americans within the next decade. The group represents over 100 million consumers and includes leaders who are payers, large employers, delivery systems, clinics, physicians, elected officials, policy experts, manufacturers and patients who have been working for several years to help drive innovation in health care through sensible reforms that align the private and public sectors. The Aspen Group is persistent in the pursuit of an affordable, high-quality health care system, and it strives to systematically address the most challenging current health care issues to improve the health of individuals and communities; collaborate around a national strategy for improving the health of Americans; and promote provocative solutions that add value to efforts to transform health care.

Contact Information
Media:
Kate Stabrawa
kate.stabrawa@davita.com 
(303) 876-7527

SOURCE The Aspen Group