Cleveland Clinic Collaborates with Lilly, Anthem to Add New Heart Surgery Option for Lilly Health Plan Members

Cleveland Clinic cardiac surgery expertise is now accessible to eligible Eli Lilly and Company employees, retirees and their family members through the Cleveland Clinic Cardiac Concierge Program, in collaboration with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and its affiliated health plans. The program provides access to complex cardiac surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute.

Cleveland Clinic is a leader in cardiovascular care and provides a top-tier patient experience for those with common to complex heart conditions. For the 26th consecutive year, Cleveland Clinic’s heart program has ranked as the best in the nation, earning the No. 1 ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s “2020-21 Best Hospitals.”

“Access to high-quality healthcare has an enormous impact on one’s health and wellbeing,” said Lars Svensson, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute. “We are proud to collaborate with Anthem and deliver our top-ranked heart surgery expertise to the employees, retirees and family members of Lilly, no matter where they live.”

The Cleveland Clinic Cardiac Concierge Program is part of Cleveland Clinic’s Center of Excellence (COE) for cardiac surgery, an innovative solution that provides high-quality healthcare while also managing costs. The program helps keep costs down through better outcomes and bundled pricing – a single payment that covers a patient’s specific treatment over a period of time – while giving plan members greater access to the best possible care.

“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. “As an innovation-driven company, we are committed to seek solutions that offer high-quality health care at more affordable costs.”

Lilly employees and non-Medicare eligible retirees will pay nothing towards the cost of their surgery after meeting their deductible. In addition, Lilly will pay 100 percent of travel and accommodation expenses for eligible plan participants and a companion to visit Cleveland Clinic. Anthem will arrange travel from the employee’s home to Cleveland Clinic and back again.

Launched on Jan. 1, 2021, the cardiac concierge program enables participating members to have their care comprehensively managed by a care coordinator, allowing Lilly families to have one point of contact from pre-surgical appointments through recovery at home. The cardiac concierge program also includes a free second opinion for eligible surgeries from the number one heart center in the country.

“Our collaboration with Cleveland Clinic is aimed at simplifying and personalizing treatment for cardiac conditions. This approach provides Lilly employees and their families the support they need so they can focus on recovery and getting back to full health,” said Tricia Fringer, president of Anthem National Accounts.