Connecting our Community
Trusted advisors dedicated to building integrated healthcare communities and improving patient outcomes
About Our
Network
Kootenai Care Network, established in 2016, enhances community health by providing integrated, high-quality care across multiple healthcare providers and payors. It expanded its offerings to include Kootenai Accountable Care for Medicare patients in 2017 and Kootenai Value Care for Medicaid patients in 2021. Kootenai Care Network manages eight value-based care contracts, coordinating care for over 65,000 patients through a network of approximately 700 providers.
What is a Cin?
A Clinically Integrated Network (CIN) is a legally sanctioned collaboration among healthcare providers that aims to improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and enhance efficiency through coordinated care, data sharing, and performance feedback.
Learn More
THE BENEFITS
Joining KCN helps healthcare providers reduce Medicare reporting, access care support, influence governance, receive feedback, earn financial incentives, collaborate, and improve local patient care.
Learn More
HOW IS A CIN DIFFERENT?
An ACO is a value-based payment model for cost and quality, a VCO in Idaho manages Medicaid care using ACO methods, and a CIN provides infrastructure for various value-based care models.
Learn More
Network Providers
Kootenai Care Network has over almost 700 providers caring for community members. Our providers are engaged with the Network to continue to improve coordination of services and provide quality care.
Data analytics and collaboration help to develop and implement clinical protocols and monitor clinical performance to help you achieve high quality care in a more efficient manner.
Kootenai Care Network is governed by physicians, ensuring that their expertise will advocate for patient’s care in both quality and safety.
Interest in Joining the Network?
Kootenai Care Network is happy to discuss this option with your practice. Please review our membership criteria and fill out the intent to apply form on the Network Membership link so that we can contact you.
Have a Question? We Have Answers
Blank
Can I participate in more than one CIN or ACO (in addition to Kootenai Care Network)?
Kootenai Care Network is non-exclusive; payors, however, may require exclusivity for Primary Care Providers (PCPs) due to ACO attribution methodology. While PCPs in the same tax ID cannot participate in two ACOs, specialists typically can be members of more than one because patients are not generally attributed to specialists.
Who runs Kootenai Care Network; will there be an opportunity for physician leadership?
Kootenai Care Network is affiliated with Kootenai Health, but it is an independent legal entity, governed by a Board and subcommittees chaired by physicians, with physicians in the majority of each governing body. KCN providers greatly influence many components of the program including clinical protocols, quality performance metrics, distribution methodology for shared savings, contractual terms and ultimately contractual acceptance. KCN actively encourages providers to participate in governance.
How do KCN providers benefit financially?
KCN providers bill and collect for medical services at the rate they negotiate with insurance companies, like any other provider. If KCN generates shared savings through its value-based care products and/or gets care management fees or quality metric achievement bonuses, these funds are pooled and redistributed to practices, by a formula created in provider-led committees, in the form of a yearly check, typically distributed in the fall for the previous year’s performance.
How is the Kootenai Care Network different than other managed care initiatives (HMOs)?
HMOs of the 1990s were more restrictive than modern insurance models and often created profits by denying care to patients. HMOs locked patients into their networks. Subsequent payment models use attribution, which provides patients with more choice. Kootenai Care Network provides cost-effective, quality care by addressing system inefficiencies and supporting collaboration with the intent to provide the right care in the right setting by the right provider at the right time.