Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont & the University of Vermont Medical Center Create New PATH for Chronic Pain Management

Subtitle
Innovative collaboration makes comprehensive, holistic treatment model affordable for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont members dealing with complex chronic pain

BERLIN, VT – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Blue Cross) and the University of Vermont (UVM) Medical Center have announced the launch of a new program for people living with chronic pain: The Partners Aligned in Transformative Healing (PATH) program at UVM Medical Center’s Comprehensive Pain Program (CPP). 

PATH is an eight-week outpatient program that approaches chronic pain from a “whole person” perspective, melding conventional medical treatment with complementary therapies like yoga, acupuncture, and culinary medicine, along with group support for both participants and primary caregivers. By treating chronic pain holistically, PATH participants gain a variety of skills and techniques to manage symptoms, increase comfort, and improve function.

Only a few comprehensive programs of this type currently exist in the U.S., and their costs—which can range from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, and are generally not covered by insurance—put them out of reach for many. The PATH program is unique in this regard: Blue Cross and UVM Medical Center collaborated on an innovative bundled payment model that allows patients access to the full eight-week program for one fixed price, rather than billing separately for each visit and service type. Participants themselves pay only the cost of two primary care visits, one for each four-week segment of the program. 

“We’re grateful for the collaboration of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont in developing an affordable way for our patients to access a range of therapies to manage their pain,” said Jon Porter, MD medical director of the CPP.  “This is an excellent example of the kind of innovation we need to pursue as we develop new approaches to optimizing the comfort and function of our participants.  We understand that medications alone are limited in the relief they afford people with chronic pain, and we are grateful to collaborate with our colleagues who are skilled in providing integrative therapies that offer important benefits for program participants.”

PATH participants must meet certain eligibility criteria and must be referred into the program by their physician. Each cohort is limited to 10-12 people, and group work is a core component of the approach.

“It’s common for individuals experiencing chronic pain to feel reluctant about participating in a group setting,” says Joshua Plavin, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Blue Cross. “But the group experience has proven powerful in helping patients move forward in managing their pain.”   

Chronic pain is complex, and providers have seen that medication can only help so much over time. Lou McLaren, Director of Provider Contracting and Interim Director of Provider Relations and Quality Improvement at Blue Cross, says PATH’s mind-body approach allows referring physicians to offer their patients “something better than a prescription”: a toolkit that can be used long-term to maintain higher quality of life.

PATH opens to eligible Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont members by physician referral beginning in mid-June.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is Vermont’s only local, not-for-profit health plan. For over 70 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont has been enhancing the health and well-being of the Vermonters by offering innovative plans to individuals, seniors and businesses.  Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is dedicated to developing new ways to support high quality care and programs and events that promote wellness. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit www.bcbsvt.com.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is an association of 35 independent, locally operated Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield companies.