Risant Health Unveils Value-Based Platform, Accelerating Healthcare Transformation

Risant Health, a nonprofit subsidiary of Kaiser Permanente, is making waves in the healthcare industry with its innovative value-based platform. The company's recent developments and strategic acquisitions are poised to reshape the landscape of value-based care delivery across the United States.

Risant Health's Expansion and Acquisition Strategy

Risant Health has been steadily expanding its reach through strategic acquisitions. In 2023, the company acquired the 10-hospital Geisinger Health system, marking its first step towards creating a multisystem, multiregional value-based care organization. More recently, in December 2024, Risant Health completed the acquisition of North Carolina's Cone Health.

These acquisitions are part of a larger strategy outlined by Kaiser Permanente CEO Greg Adams, who stated that Risant Health plans to acquire five to six health systems over the next several years. The company is specifically targeting nonprofit organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to value-based care.

The Value-Based Platform: Driving Innovation in Healthcare Delivery

At the heart of Risant Health's operations is its value-based platform, described by David Grandy, chief product officer at Risant Health, as "the engine that makes Risant go." This platform aims to adapt Kaiser Permanente's integrated delivery model to work in multi-payer environments and with various physician relationship structures.

The value-based platform focuses on four key areas:

1. Patients and members
2. Physicians and the clinical workforce
3. Health plans and business operations
4. Operational efficiency across the care continuum

Geisinger Health, one of Risant's acquisitions, has already implemented three products from the value-based platform:

1. Abridge's ambient AI documentation technology
2. Kaiser Permanente's value-based care guidelines
3. Virtual care navigation and triage services through Ada Health

Early results from these implementations have been promising. Providers at Geisinger have reported saving 35 minutes per day using the AI documentation solution, with primary care doctors experiencing a 70% decrease in after-hours work and a 55% reduction in self-reported burnout.

Challenges and Future Outlook for Value-Based Care

As Risant Health continues to grow and implement its value-based platform, the company faces several challenges. One key issue is scaling value-based care across different payer environments, ranging from integrated, closed systems to pluralistic systems working with multiple insurers.

To address these challenges, Risant Health is advocating for increased risk-sharing with payers and pushing for payment reform, particularly in areas such as telemedicine billing parity. The company believes that demonstrating improved outcomes and cost reductions through its value-based platform will encourage payers to engage in more risk-based arrangements.

Grandy emphasized the importance of adapting solutions to local business contexts while maintaining consistency across Risant Health's growing network of health systems. The ultimate goal is to create a roadmap for not-for-profit health systems across America to transition towards value-based care, potentially transforming the broader healthcare landscape in the process.