Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin and Aurora Health Care announced the two companies are partnering to form a new, joint venture health insurance company, Wisconsin Collaborative Insurance Company, which will offer a commercial health insurance product called Well Priority.

The unique 50-50 joint venture partnership combines Aurora’s best-in-class care delivery system with Anthem’s insurance expertise to create a new and better way of delivering health care to consumers. The plan – which utilizes a patient-centered approach to care – is designed to deliver lower overall cost of care, healthier consumers and higher patient satisfaction.

“A high-touch, enhanced experience is the foundation on which Well Priority is based. We’ll be focused on keeping consumers healthy and actively engaged in their care to help them live well,” said John Foley, Aurora’s senior vice president of business development and president of the new joint-venture company. “And when patients do need care, we’ll make sure that they receive the right level of care and in an appropriate setting through individualized care plans.”

Well Priority products will feature:

• Access to quality care in 45 Wisconsin counties, where more than three-quarters of the state’s residents reside;
• Coverage focused on keeping people well, which in turn reduces incidents of illness and reduces patients’ potential out-of-pocket care costs;
• A network of doctors and hospitals that not only includes Aurora Health Care, but also health care systems that routinely rank as some of the most efficient and high quality in the state of Wisconsin;
• National and international in-network coverage through providers participating in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Blue Card® Program;
• Doctors and hospitals committed to utilizing electronic medical records so that a patient’s information travels with them;
• Around-the-clock care and treatment options, including a 24-7 Nurseline and LiveHealth Online* telehealth services;
• On-site nursing options for large employers; and
• Facilitated cross-system referrals between providers and hospitals participating in the product.

Well Priority products will utilize Anthem’s Blue Priority network. Health systems participating in Blue Priority include:  Aspirus, Bellin Health, Children’s Hospital, Gundersen Health System, ProHealth Care, ThedaCare, UW Health, UnityPoint Health - Meriter in Madison, and select clinics and physicians to ensure access across the entire geography covered by the network.

“For years now, Blue Priority has been creating the right kind of health care competition by advancing issues of cost and quality,” said Larry Schreiber, recent president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin and CEO of the joint venture. “Now, through Well Priority, we are working to further simplify health care so our members can focus on their health and live well.”

The new joint venture will be operated day-to-day by employees of both Aurora and Anthem. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Aurora Health Care each own a 50 percent stake in the new company, which is licensed by the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. Products sold through the joint venture will be marketed as “Well Priority – Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Collaboration with Aurora Health Care.”

Well Priority product sales will begin in mid-2016 with most new group plans starting January 1, 2017, with initial sales focused on medium to large size employer groups. Product details and plan options are currently being finalized and will be shared with health insurance brokers and employer groups in meetings over the next few months.