NCH Hospitals will be designated as Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Low Cost Providers

Wellesley, MA (September 25, 2017) - Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and North Country Healthcare (NCH) have signed an exclusive agreement to provide 1,400 employees with health insurance coverage effective January 1, 2018.  As part of the agreement, both not-for-profit organizations will each provide a $30,000 grant to help support population health in the North Country, ensuring improved access to fresh, healthy food for residents. North Country Healthcare is the parent company of affiliated hospitals in northern New Hampshire including Littleton Regional Healthcare, Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin, Weeks Medical Center in Lancaster, and Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook. This partnership will designate the four hospitals as Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Low Cost Providers (LP), which reduces patient costs for certain services.

“We are proud to partner with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care in ensuring affordable access to first-class health care and coverage for our employees,” said Warren West, CEO of North Country Healthcare.  “All four NCH hospitals will be designated as Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Low Cost Providers beginning in 2018. This will dramatically increase the service coverage area for North Country residents covered by Harvard Pilgrim.  Members will now be able to access low-cost medical services more conveniently, and closer to home.”

West added that the partnership with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care will also help NCH continue to build a clinically integrated network with three community health centers in the North Country: Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Indian Stream Health Center, and Coos County Family Health Services.  This will enable NCH to improve care, provide coordination of care among the region’s health centers and hospitals, and better serve the health and wellness needs of North Country residents.

“As non-profits, we share a mission to support our communities,” added West.  “To kick off this partnership, we are jointly committing a total of $60,000 to help improve the health of our communities and ensure that all North Country residents have access to fresh, affordable food.”

Harvard Pilgrim will utilize its population health company, Benevera Health, to work closely with NCH on local health initiatives and improve care coordination in the North Country. Benevera Health will deploy sophisticated analytics and a team of nurses, social workers, pharmacists, community health workers, and physicians in the region and on site at North Country Healthcare hospitals to help patients stay healthy and recognize potential health concerns early, before they are an issue.

“Helping North Country Healthcare reduce costs and provide access to affordable and quality health care for North Country residents is central to this partnership,” said William Brewster, Vice President of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care New Hampshire.  “We are very proud to join forces with NCH to provide funding support of area programs that will help North Country families improve their health and get fresh, affordable food.”

About North Country Healthcare
North Country Healthcare is the parent organization of four Critical Access Hospitals and one home health agency in Northern New Hampshire.  The member organizations include Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin, Littleton Regional Healthcare in Littleton, Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook, Weeks Medical Center in Lancaster, and North Country Home Health and Hospice Agency in Littleton.  North Country Healthcare employs 1,400 staff and is the largest employer in the North Country.  This newly formed healthcare system services northern Grafton County and all of Coos County.  North Country Healthcare also collaborates with three Federally Qualified Health Clinics:  Ammonoosuc Community Health Services in Littleton, Coos County Family Health Services in Berlin, and Indian Stream Health Center in Colebrook.  Together we have formed a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) to develop a Clinically Integrated Network for all hospitals and providers in the North Country to begin addressing population health and to improve the health indicators for all of the residents of the North Country. 

About Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
Harvard Pilgrim is a not-for-profit health services company that, along with its subsidiaries, is improving the well-being of its 2.7 million customers.  Harvard Pilgrim’s flagship health plans in New England provide health coverage to 1.3 million members, while another 1.4 million individuals are served through Health Plans, Inc., a subsidiary that provides integrated care management, health coaching and plan administration solutions to self-funded employers nationwide.  Founded in 1969, Harvard Pilgrim has built its reputation on innovation and collaboration with a goal of lowering health care costs, improving care and enhancing the overall member experience. It is known for its excellent clinical programs, customer service, health improvement strategies and innovative tools that offer consumers greater transparency and empower them to make better decisions about their health care. Harvard Pilgrim is home to the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, a unique collaboration with Harvard Medical School. As Harvard Medical School’s Department of Population Medicine, the Institute is the only appointing department of a U.S. medical school housed within a health plan.   Funded primarily through external government and private sources, it provides critical information to all levels of our health care system on issues affecting population health and health care delivery. Harvard Pilgrim is consistently among America’s highest-rated health plans according to an annual ranking of the nation’s best health plans by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)*.

*Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (private HMO/POS and PPO plans) and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England (private HMO/POS plans) have been rated 4.5 out of 5 in NCQA’s Private Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2016-17. NCQA’s Private Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2015-16. NCQA’s Private Health Insurance Plan Rankings, 2011-15, HMO/POS/PPO.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
Kim Winn
(603) 315-4426
Kimberly_Winn@hphc.org