Blue Cross of Idaho Offers New Health Care Services to Better Support Members With Chronic Diseases
Posted on: Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 12:00 CDT
MERIDIAN, Idaho, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Blue Cross of Idaho (BCI) announced a new partnership with Pfizer Health Solutions (PHS) to provide Idaho residents suffering from chronic diseases -- including diabetes, asthma and heart failure -- access to tailored health care services outside of the doctor's office.
"The new partnership with PHS is an exciting opportunity to significantly enhance Blue Cross of Idaho's disease management programs," said Brenda Bruns, MD, a BCI medical director. "The goal is to help members with chronic disease better understand and self-manage their care and to encourage them to work with their providers to develop a coordinated health management plan. This proactive approach should improve member quality of life and reduce the use of hospital and emergency services, which will in turn drive down health care costs."
According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death among Idaho residents, and costs to the state are estimated at $873 million per year. In addition, asthma affects 11.7 percent of adults and eight percent of children in Idaho.(1)
BCI and PHS will execute a coordinated approach to managing health, involving all members of a health care team (patient, physician, care manager and administrator) to develop a tailored program, provide encouragement and track patient success over time. Patients will also have access to a password-protected web site that offers customized health information and educational tools to help them better manage their own health.
"Increasing access to care coupled with educating and empowering patients to better care for themselves has helped lower health care costs in other programs around the country. We're looking forward to working with Blue Cross of Idaho to prove it can work in Idaho as well," said PHS Vice President John Sory.
About Blue Cross of Idaho
Blue Cross of Idaho has been Idaho's leading health insurer since 1945. Committed to the delivery of high quality, cost-effective health care services, Blue Cross of Idaho provides its customers access to the state's most comprehensive provider networks. An Idaho company, Blue Cross of Idaho provides health care coverage for nearly 400,000 members, almost one of every three Idahoans. Blue Cross of Idaho's extensive product offerings include traditional, preferred provider (PPO) and managed care plans for customers under the age of 65 -- as well as supplement and managed care programs for Medicare recipients. Blue Cross of Idaho is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
About Pfizer Health Solutions
Pfizer Health Solutions, the wholly-owned care management subsidiary of Pfizer, partners with health care and community organizations to implement patient-centered programs that focus on prevention, disease management and care coordination to improve patient health and efficiency of health care delivery. To learn more, visit http://www.pfizerhealthsolutions.com/.
(1) Diabetes In Idaho, A Summary Report: 2003. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Division of Health. Bureau of Community and Environmental Health. Idaho Diabetes Prevention and Control Program.
Blue Cross of Idaho; Pfizer Health Solutions
CONTACT: Amy Delmore of Pfizer Health Solutions, +1-212-733-0248, orTod McKay of Blue Cross of Idaho, +1-208-331-7465
Web site: http://www.pfizerhealthsolutions.com/
Source: PRNewswire
Related Articles
- Value-Based Benefits Improving the Health of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Employees
- St. Joseph Health System and Blue Cross of California Renew Healthcare Coverage Contract
- U-M Health System and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Announce Marianne Udow As Director for Joint Venture
- Kettering Health Network, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and CentriHealth Launch Ohio's First Individual Health Record
- Independence Blue Cross Expands Disease Management Program to Benefit Members With Crohn's Disease
- Senator Kennedy Joins International and Local Health Care Leaders Examining New Initiatives to Improve the Quality and Safety of Patient Care; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Convenes Saving Lives, Safeguarding Care
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Reports on '20 Vital Signs' of Health Care in North Carolina
- Zix Corporation Selected By Independence Blue Cross for E-Prescribing Pilot Program; Philadelphia's Largest Health Insurer to Make PocketScript(R) Available to Select Physicians in Three States
- Health Insurer Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield Expands Options
- State Fines Blue Cross $150,000
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds