Dr. Joseph Webb
Success in action: Nashville General Hospital Metro Incentive Program
May 10, 2024
By Dr. Joseph Webb
Thirty million Americans live in “healthcare deserts,” with eight in ten U.S. counties lacking the ability to provide basic health services to their populations. When it comes to health equity, the problem is even more significant. According to the Commonwealth Fund’s Scorecard on State Health System Performance, every state in the U.S. is falling short in the area of racial and ethnic health equity: “Mirroring the nation as a whole, substantial health and health care disparities exist between white and Black, Hispanic, and AIAN communities in nearly all states.”
For individuals who lack access to basic and preventative care, whether from a lack of insurance, living in a healthcare desert or another socioeconomic factor, the result is the same: Poor outcomes. Across the nation, people of color are more often impacted than Whites. According to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Black Americans are at greater risk for “COVID-19, heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and homicide” than White Americans. Life expectancy from birth for Black men is 66.7 years versus 73.7 for White men and 74.8 for Black women versus 79.2 for White women.
Health equity in Tennessee
Tennessee ranked 44th in the nation for overall health in 2023, and 15th for the number of counties designated as healthcare deserts, with 23 of our state’s 95 counties included. This number represents more than a third of Tennessee’s population or 2.5 million individuals.
Across the state, 17.6% of Black Tennesseans have diabetes compared to 13.7% of Whites. According to TN.gov, diabetes is the fourth leading killer of Black Tennesseans, who are also more likely to experience hospitalization and complications like “heart disease, stroke, blindness, lower limb amputations and severe kidney disease” than are White Tennesseans. The same is true here in Nashville, where Black Americans have higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, respiratory issues, and obesity compared to White Americans.
Non-Hispanic Black women in our state are 2.3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. Between 2017 and 2021, non-Hispanic Black women experienced 78.2 pregnancy-related deaths for every 100,000 live births, while White women experienced 32.9. Non-Hispanic Black infants are nearly four times more likely to die from low birthweight and other complications and 2.9 times more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome than non-Hispanic whites.
A new approach
Removing socioeconomic barriers like cost and access to care is an ongoing passion and goal of Nashville General Hospital. Fifteen years ago, we implemented the Nashville General Hospital Metro Healthcare Incentive Program to address these challenges. The program was designed to deliver convenient, low-cost access to high-quality care for Metro employees, their dependents, and pensioners not currently covered by Medicare as their primary insurance.
The Metro Healthcare Incentive Program eliminates copays and deductibles for those enrolled in the Metro’s Cigna PPO when they use a Nashville General facility, including Nashville General Hospital, Nashville Healthcare Center, and the Nashville Healthcare Diagnostic Imaging Center, which is scheduled to open later this spring. The incentive program also includes those enrolled in Metro’s Cigna (non-PPO), and Nashville Electric Service’s medical insurance plan. Not only is there no cost to participate in the incentive program, but members can save as much as $2,000 a year.
There is no special enrollment or application to complete, Metro employees need only to show their Cigna card when they arrive at Nashville General Hospital or a Nashville Healthcare Center location and their copays and deductibles will be waived or discounted, depending on the Cigna program in which they’re enrolled.
Results
More than 1,600 Metro employees, family members, and pensioners used the Metro Incentive Program in 2023, accounting for nearly 6,000 visits to a Nashville General Hospital facility. Their savings for 2023 alone is estimated at more than $600,000. Since the program’s inception in 2009, the Metro Incentive Program has saved Metro employees an estimate of $3.9 million in copays and deductibles while providing access to quality healthcare that’s conveniently located.
About the author: Dr. Joseph Webb is the CEO of Nashville General. The Nashville Healthcare Center opened in 2016 as a primary care practice with two family medicine providers. In 2019, Nashville General Hospital opened the first offsite location in Midtown and transitioned all primary and specialty practices under the Nashville Healthcare Center brand. Today, offering primary care and over 23 medical specialties, the Nashville Healthcare Center is here for all Nashvillians and their families. Our board-certified providers are dedicated to delivering patient-centered care with a strong focus on prevention and wellness. Other locations include Nashville Healthcare Center, Bordeaux and Nashville Healthcare Center, MetroCenter.
Thirty million Americans live in “healthcare deserts,” with eight in ten U.S. counties lacking the ability to provide basic health services to their populations. When it comes to health equity, the problem is even more significant. According to the Commonwealth Fund’s Scorecard on State Health System Performance, every state in the U.S. is falling short in the area of racial and ethnic health equity: “Mirroring the nation as a whole, substantial health and health care disparities exist between white and Black, Hispanic, and AIAN communities in nearly all states.”
For individuals who lack access to basic and preventative care, whether from a lack of insurance, living in a healthcare desert or another socioeconomic factor, the result is the same: Poor outcomes. Across the nation, people of color are more often impacted than Whites. According to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Black Americans are at greater risk for “COVID-19, heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and homicide” than White Americans. Life expectancy from birth for Black men is 66.7 years versus 73.7 for White men and 74.8 for Black women versus 79.2 for White women.
Health equity in Tennessee
Tennessee ranked 44th in the nation for overall health in 2023, and 15th for the number of counties designated as healthcare deserts, with 23 of our state’s 95 counties included. This number represents more than a third of Tennessee’s population or 2.5 million individuals.
Across the state, 17.6% of Black Tennesseans have diabetes compared to 13.7% of Whites. According to TN.gov, diabetes is the fourth leading killer of Black Tennesseans, who are also more likely to experience hospitalization and complications like “heart disease, stroke, blindness, lower limb amputations and severe kidney disease” than are White Tennesseans. The same is true here in Nashville, where Black Americans have higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, respiratory issues, and obesity compared to White Americans.
Non-Hispanic Black women in our state are 2.3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. Between 2017 and 2021, non-Hispanic Black women experienced 78.2 pregnancy-related deaths for every 100,000 live births, while White women experienced 32.9. Non-Hispanic Black infants are nearly four times more likely to die from low birthweight and other complications and 2.9 times more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome than non-Hispanic whites.
A new approach
Removing socioeconomic barriers like cost and access to care is an ongoing passion and goal of Nashville General Hospital. Fifteen years ago, we implemented the Nashville General Hospital Metro Healthcare Incentive Program to address these challenges. The program was designed to deliver convenient, low-cost access to high-quality care for Metro employees, their dependents, and pensioners not currently covered by Medicare as their primary insurance.
The Metro Healthcare Incentive Program eliminates copays and deductibles for those enrolled in the Metro’s Cigna PPO when they use a Nashville General facility, including Nashville General Hospital, Nashville Healthcare Center, and the Nashville Healthcare Diagnostic Imaging Center, which is scheduled to open later this spring. The incentive program also includes those enrolled in Metro’s Cigna (non-PPO), and Nashville Electric Service’s medical insurance plan. Not only is there no cost to participate in the incentive program, but members can save as much as $2,000 a year.
There is no special enrollment or application to complete, Metro employees need only to show their Cigna card when they arrive at Nashville General Hospital or a Nashville Healthcare Center location and their copays and deductibles will be waived or discounted, depending on the Cigna program in which they’re enrolled.
Results
More than 1,600 Metro employees, family members, and pensioners used the Metro Incentive Program in 2023, accounting for nearly 6,000 visits to a Nashville General Hospital facility. Their savings for 2023 alone is estimated at more than $600,000. Since the program’s inception in 2009, the Metro Incentive Program has saved Metro employees an estimate of $3.9 million in copays and deductibles while providing access to quality healthcare that’s conveniently located.
About the author: Dr. Joseph Webb is the CEO of Nashville General. The Nashville Healthcare Center opened in 2016 as a primary care practice with two family medicine providers. In 2019, Nashville General Hospital opened the first offsite location in Midtown and transitioned all primary and specialty practices under the Nashville Healthcare Center brand. Today, offering primary care and over 23 medical specialties, the Nashville Healthcare Center is here for all Nashvillians and their families. Our board-certified providers are dedicated to delivering patient-centered care with a strong focus on prevention and wellness. Other locations include Nashville Healthcare Center, Bordeaux and Nashville Healthcare Center, MetroCenter.