Core Purpose<\/strong><\/td>| It connects independent providers to share data, standardize care protocols, and negotiate higher payer rates legally together.<\/td> | It takes on financial risk to manage the total cost and quality of care for a specific patient population, such as Medicare.<\/td> | It links a hospital with its clinicians to secure joint managed care contracts and align hospital-physician billing.<\/td> | It operates the back-office business infrastructure, such as billing, so that clinicians can focus entirely on patient care.<\/td><\/tr> | Who Participates?<\/strong><\/td>| Independent physicians, employed physicians, and health systems.<\/td> | Primary care physicians, specialists, hospitals, and post-acute care facilities.<\/td> | A single hospital system and its attending or affiliated physicians. <\/td> | Independent practices looking to offload administrative burdens. <\/td><\/tr> | Primary Focus<\/strong><\/td>| Heavily clinical. That is, it relies heavily on shared EHR data, strict quality tracking, and standardized care protocols.<\/td> | Clinical and financial. It balances strict population health management with heavy financial risk mitigation.<\/td> | Transactional. It acts primarily as a legal and contracting bridge between the hospital and the physicians.<\/td> | 100% administrative. It provides the business infrastructure; it is legally barred from dictating actual clinical care.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n | | | |