UnitedHealthcare, AGA Announce Collaboration to Improve Patient Care

UnitedHealthcare and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) recently announced a collaboration designed to improve patient care and outcomes in digestive disorders. This arrangement makes UnitedHealthcare the first health care company to join forces with the AGA Digestive Health Outcomes Registry^® to help advance high-quality, cost-effective medical best practices.

Through this collaboration, UnitedHealthcare will incorporate gastroenterologist (GI) physician data from the AGA Digestive Health Outcomes Registry into its physician performance measurement programs that compare individual treatment practices with national treatment standards created by gastroenterologists. Data from the registry will support UnitedHealthcare's expanding portfolio of physician incentive programs that reward medical groups and physicians who demonstrate high-quality, cost-effective care.

Information obtained from this analysis will help UnitedHealthcare and the AGA promote best practices related to the care of patients with digestive disorders. The registry is certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), enabling practices to submit data on Medicare beneficiaries with hepatitis C to the CMS Physician Quality Reporting System.

UnitedHealthcare's collaboration with AGA is another example of the company's commitment to help gastroenterologists improve performance and patient care, and supports the mission to help people live healthier lives. In 2010, UnitedHealthcare received the Richard L. Doyle Award for Innovation and Leadership in Health Care from Milliman Care Guidelines for working with physicians and other health professionals to identify and employ best practices to prevent complications from major bowel surgery.