Indianapolis, IN (March 2021) — With Indiana ranking among the highest cost states for hospital care in recent national studies, OrthoIndy is collaborating with Eli Lilly and Company and Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield to create an innovative solution that offers high-quality medical care at more affordable costs to those receiving health benefits from Lilly.
OrthoIndy recently launched a new Center of Excellence (COE) program for hip and knee replacement surgeries for Lilly’s Indiana employees, non-Medicare eligible retirees and their family members. The COE gives them access to the expert surgeons at OrthoIndy, priority scheduling and concierge-level services with a dedicated liaison. This special COE designation recognizes the hospital’s record of providing better care, better outcomes, and lower costs. Patients covered by the Lilly health plan who use OrthoIndy for their hip and knee replacements will have their surgery covered at 100% after meeting their annual deductibles.
“We are excited that Lilly has chosen to partner with OrthoIndy on its Center of Excellence program for hip and knee replacements,” said Dr. Ed Hellman, president at OrthoIndy. “Healthcare value in the 21st century is measured by quality, pricing and patient safety and outcomes. Our commitment to these values is evident through our Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award, which we have received the past 7 years.”
Lilly worked closely with Anthem, which administers the Lilly medical benefit, to evaluate the wide variation in cost and quality data in Indiana for hip and knee replacement surgeries. Their analysis found that OrthoIndy offered high quality surgeries at a lower cost than other Indiana health care providers. OrthoIndy has repeatedly received a Five Star Ranking for Total Hip and Knee replacements by Healthgrades and is considered a Blue Distinction Center+ by Anthem.
“We care about the well-being of our employees, our retirees and their families, and the impact of increasing health care costs,” said Steve Fry, senior vice president of human resources at Lilly. “This new collaboration illustrates Lilly’s intent to build relationships with providers who deliver high quality health care at affordable prices.”
In September 2020, an analysis by the RAND Corp. found that Indiana employers and other private health plans pay the sixth highest prices in the nation for total hospital services—which include fees paid to facilities, physicians and other health care practitioners. Prices for the same procedures were more than twice as high at some Indiana health systems as at others, the RAND study found, without a correlation between price and quality.
The Center of Excellence program created with OrthoIndy, Anthem and Lilly is part of ongoing efforts to encourage use of health care providers that offer high-quality care at competitive pricing.
“Our collaborations seek to make the health care experience simple and more personal. With that goal in mind, this innovative approach with OrthoIndy provides Lilly employees affordability and delivers healthier outcomes,” said Tricia Fringer, president of Anthem National Accounts.
About OrthoIndy and the OrthoIndy Hospital
Founded over 60 years ago, OrthoIndy is one of the most highly respected orthopedic practices in the Midwest. With over 90 physicians providing care to central Indiana residents from more than 10 convenient locations, OrthoIndy provides leading-edge bone, joint, spine and muscle care. OrthoIndy is the official orthopedic provider for the Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever and Andretti Autosport.
Owned and operated by OrthoIndy physicians, OrthoIndy Hospital is central Indiana’s first specialty hospital with a direct focus on bone, joint, spine and muscle care and the most technologically advanced facility available for orthopedics in the Midwest. As a physician-owned hospital model, OrthoIndy Hospital’s top priorities are patient safety, satisfaction and outcomes.
Quality patient care serves as the foundation for the physician-owned and operated hospital, which is evident in the ratings received from Press Ganey Associates, Inc and Healthgrades. From 2013 to 2020 OrthoIndy Hospital was named a Guardian of Excellence Award winner for consistently achieving the 95th percentile of performance in patient satisfaction. From 2009 to 2012, OrthoIndy Hospital was named the Summit Award Winner for sustaining the highest level of customer satisfaction for three or more consecutive years. In 2020, OrthoIndy Hospital was named the Healthgrades 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award winner for achieving the top 5% of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data as evaluated by Healthgrades.
From 2014 to 2023, Healthgrades named OrthoIndy Hospital a Five-Star Recipient for Spinal Fusion Surgery and Total Hip Replacement. From 2008 to 2023, Healthgrades named OrthoIndy Hospital a Five-Star Recipient for Total Knee Replacement.
For more information on OrthoIndy, please call 317.802.2000 or visit us at OrthoIndy.com.
