Inland Healthcare Providers Seek to Cap Costs

RIVERSIDE - Patients whose physicians belong to one of six Inland Empire medical groups that contract with Blue Shield of California can expect to see changes in their healthcare services in the coming months.

Blue Shield is partnering with Redlands-based healthcare consulting firm Epic Management LP to create an Accountable Care Organization that will focus on identifying ways to optimize outpatient treatment programs to rein in health maintenance organization, or HMO, costs, according to a joint statement released by Epic and Blue Shield.

''The goal is to improve quality and efficiency while...