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Horizon Blue Cross pays doctors $58.9 million for improving care

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the largest insurer in the state, said it paid doctors $58.9 million in care coordination and quality bonuses last year, up from $40.4 million in 2014.

That money -  directed toward so-called patient-centered medical homes designed to improve quality and reduce costs -  was in addition to traditional fee-for-service payments.

Horizon said that more 1 million of its members seen by more than 4,100 primary care doctors are participating in such programs. Five years ago, Horizon had just 63 doctors in patient-centered medical homes.

Among the results in 2015 was a 12 percent lower cost of care for members with diabetes, a 5 percent lower rate for emergency room visits, and a 2 percent lower rate of hospital admissions.

In 2015, Horizon paid doctors $28.9 million to offset the cost of care coordination and $30 million in shared savings from improvements in care. A comparable breakout for 2014 was not immediately available.