Interwell Health Reports Industry Leading Results in CMS’s Kidney Care Choices Program

BOSTON – October 15, 2024 – Interwell Health, a kidney care management company that partners with physicians on its mission to reimagine healthcare, has achieved industry leading results in the government’s Kidney Care Choices (KCC) program. The KCC program is a value-based care model for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve outcomes for Medicare patients while reducing the total cost of care.

In 2022, 80 percent (16 out of 20) of Interwell’s Kidney Contracting Entities (KCEs) qualified as high performers, a designation earned by those KCC participants providing the highest level of quality care for patients. A KCE is a regional alliance of one or more nephrology practices and transplant providers formed within the KCC program.

“The results achieved by our physician partners show that by working together we can improve outcomes for patients and reduce the cost of care to the government,” said Robert Sepucha, CEO of Interwell Health. “These achievements could only be possible by working in tight coordination with independent nephrology practices who have embraced a better way forward to treating kidney disease.”

In addition to being recognized as high performers, Interwell’s KCEs achieved the following outstanding results for 2022:

• 19 out of 20 KCEs achieved above the 75th percentile for their Total Quality Score (TQS), and 3 KCEs achieved a perfect score.
• 19 out of 20 KCEs achieved a change score higher than 6-points for the patient reported outcomes measure (PAM), qualifying as a high performer in that category.
• 17 of 20 KCEs scored above the 75th percentile for optimal starts, defined as a smooth transition to kidney failure with preemptive transplant, home dialysis, or permanent access.
• 20 of 20 KCEs passed the depression response measure to better screen all patients. 

The results from all KCEs across the country are now published on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation website.

“Our incredible network of physician practices has truly embraced this shift to value-based care so even more patients with kidney disease can live their best lives,” said Dr. George Hart, chief medical officer of Interwell Health. “Our patients directly benefit from care coordinators embedded in the physician practice, a nephrology-specific electronic health record, and all the additional education and support we offer between doctor visits.”

Eastern Nephrology Associates in North Carolina is part of a single practice Interwell-aligned KCE (Eastern North Carolina KCE) with industry leading results, achieving a perfect TQS score of 100 percent and an optimal start rate of 84 percent in 2022.

"As patients transition from chronic kidney disease to kidney failure, there are numerous steps that need to occur for the patient to achieve a successful outcome.” said Dr. Carney Taylor, co-president of Eastern Nephrology. "The coordination of care for patients during this transition is complicated and requires a seamless interaction amongst multiple team members, the electronic health record, and the patient. Interwell’s value-based care expertise, technology, and resources have been key drivers of our success in the program.”

Interwell added four more KCEs in 2023 and is currently the largest participant in the government's KCC program with a total of 23 KCEs nationwide. In 2024, Interwell added over 100 new providers to its existing KCEs. By partnering with over 2,000 independent nephrologists across the country, Interwell helps kidney doctors succeed in these new models of value-based care.

To learn more about Interwell Health, please visit interwellhealth.com or find us on LinkedIn.

Disclaimer:

The statements contained in this press release are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CMS. The authors assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this document.