Duo Health collaborates with Ariz. MA Plan on value-based kidney disease care

Kidney disease continues to be a focus area for deals with value-based startups. Duo Health, a value-based medical group focused on treating chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESKD), has partnered with Arizona Complete Health, a subsidiary of Centene, for its Medicare Advantage plan offering.

The partnership builds on Arizona Complete Health’s existing value-based nephrology network agreements and is designed to increase patient engagement and improve outcomes for Medicare members with CKD and ESKD.

The program, Wellcare by Allwell, was developed specifically for Arizona Complete Health’s Medicare Advantage program and targets members with complex care needs due to CKD and ESKD. Through a risk arrangement that pairs interdisciplinary staff with established local providers, Duo said this would improve quality and value-based clinical outcomes while extending care to patients’ homes and alternative care settings.

“Our partnership with Duo Health exemplifies our unwavering commitment to meeting the unique health care needs of every Arizonan,” Martha Smith, president and CEO of Arizona Complete Health Plan, said in a statement. “We will continue to meet our members where they are and work to identify partners who can provide comprehensive and specialized support, including for individuals living with CKD and ESKD.”

“We are excited to partner with Arizona Complete Health to advance our efforts to provide accessible, high-quality healthcare services to communities across Arizona,” said Nathan Goldstein, CEO and co-founder of Duo Health, in a statement. “This relationship underscores our ongoing commitment to innovation and collaboration in delivering value-based care. It reflects our shared commitment to improving the rapidly evolving healthcare needs of individuals and families in the areas we serve, while prioritizing patient outcomes and satisfaction.”

Headquartered in Chicago, Duo Health was co-founded in 2022 by CEO Nathan Goldstein, Stuart Levine, MD, and Chicago Pacific Founders (CPF).

Prior to founding Duo, Goldstein was founder and later chief product officer of Signify Health, which he helped bring to a $5.3 billion IPO in 2021. Chicago Pacific Founders has made a name for itself by founding companies in the value-based care model space in specialty care.

In 2023, Duo Health announced a partnership in Florida with National Kidney Partners (NKP), a physician-led nephrology organization with care centers across the state.