ilumed Continues Rapid Expansion to Serve More Physicians, Medicare Beneficiaries in Record-breaking Year

ACO REACH company’s 2023 growth underscores effectiveness of program, demand for access to accountable care in underserved populations 

JUPITER, Fla. (Jan. 24, 2024) – More healthcare providers and clinicians than ever are partnering with ilumed, an ACO REACH organization that creates financial stability for doctors while removing barriers to care for patients. The Medicare transformation company, which offers wraparound services that help extend providers’ practices and fill in care delivery gaps, is closing out a record-breaking year after more than doubling its national footprint year-over-year and the number of Medicare beneficiaries served in 2023.

ilumed expanded to meet increasing demand for prevention-focused initiatives addressing the needs of the most vulnerable patients. The company grew from four states with more than 24,000 beneficiaries in 2022 to 10 states covering over 56,000 beneficiaries in 2023, with plans to be in 14 states by the end of 2024.

A pioneering participant in the original Direct Contracting Entity program (DCE, now ACO REACH), ilumed’s model of provider and patient engagement, supported by technology and services to support the delivery of sustainable primary care, has proven to drive lower-cost, better-quality and more equitable healthcare outcomes. In 2023, ilumed secured:

– Acknowledgment from CMS for outstanding 2022 ACO REACH results, attaining a perfect 100% quality score and securing a position in the top 10 for cost savings among all ACO REACH programs.

– Commendation for the company’s unwavering dedication to health equity and addressing the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) needs of its senior patients. In 2023, this includes providing nearly 2,000 rides to appointments, delivering more than 400 boxes of  produce and pantry goods, providing 367 meal referrals, and coordinating nearly 30,000 meals for patients in need.

– Recognition from CMS for contributing over $12.3 million in savings to primary care physicians in 2022, supporting efforts to enhance and maintain high-quality primary care services.

From providing healthy food to those who are food insecure and transportation to physician and pharmacy appointments, to eliminating copays and deductibles, ilumed is committed to further improving quality of care and addressing social determinants of health for seniors.

“We do the right thing the right way, and when we see a need, we meet it. The ACO REACH program has built important changes into its design so we can adjust where we need to and share our findings with CMS,” said Debbie Finnel, ilumed’s CEO. “Because of our key industry collaborations and rapid growth in size this past year, we are able to get the best care to those who need it most while maintaining high quality and catching those who may otherwise fall through the cracks. In 2024, we’re focused on going beyond the traditional reach of healthcare and out into the community, helping Americans achieve their best health affordably.”

Collaborations in 2023 focused on addressing social determinants of health and building increased access to healthcare services for seniors, adding robust technology solutions and resources to ilumed’s toolkit in order to streamline the coordination of care and population health management data flows.

“The providers and clinicians partnering with us are those who want to see their patients regularly, reduce readmissions and deliver that routine, accountable care Medicare beneficiaries need. We’re helping them navigate challenges that reduce patients’ access to care, and our proprietary technology platform helps prevent readmissions and is easy for teams to use,” ilumed Executive Vice President of Network Development and Global Risk Contracting Bill Lane said. “We’re able to educate them on the most innovative aspects of the ACO REACH program’s healthcare delivery and reimbursement models from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which is constantly testing and evaluating the best accountable care and value-based systems. ”

The company also strengthened its leadership bench, promoting Marco Castillo from Executive Vice President of Operations to the role of Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer and hiring a new Chief Technology Officer, Jimmy Rhoades, who brings more than fifteen years of global leadership experience to elevate Brainstream, the company’s proprietary analytics platform. Renowned for delivering accelerated solutions, Jimmy’s expertise will optimize BrainStream’s performance through efficiency and collaboration. To learn more about how ilumed helps providers practice medicine that puts patients first while earning compensation for increased healthcare access and improved patient outcomes, visit ilumed.com.

About ilumed

ilumed is an ACO REACH organization based out of Jupiter, FL. ilumed grew from over 24,000 beneficiaries across 4 states in 2022 to over 56,000 beneficiaries across 10 states in 2023. We are dedicated to improving the lives of our Medicare patients by uniting clinicians with a focus on delivering healthcare with empathy and compassion.

About the CMS ACO REACH Model

Initially launched as the Direct Contracting Global/Professional model by CMS’ Center of Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) in 2021, the ACO REACH model began in 2022 and aims to improve the quality of care for people with Traditional Medicare through better care coordination and by increasing access to accountable care in underserved communities. Innovative features the Model will test include benchmark adjustments to shift payments to better support care for the underserved and enhanced Medicare benefits, including care in the home. For 2023, the ACO REACH Model has 132 ACOs, with 131,772 healthcare providers and organizations providing care to an estimated 2.1 million beneficiaries.

Additional information about the CMS ACO REACH can be found at www.medicare.gov.