EATONTOWN, N.J. & RENO, Nev. & DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 2004--Disease management (DM) companies QMed, AirLogix and Alere Medical announced today the formation of an equally-owned company called HealthSuite Partners, in conjunction with the signing of an agreement to bring their best-of-breed, multi-disease state management programs to a large Mid-West not-for-profit health plan. HealthSuite Partners will deliver integrated DM programs to manage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, heart failure, diabetes and coronary artery disease on behalf of the health plan's commercial and Medicaid combined membership of over 580,000.
Alere Medical, which has been providing advanced-stage heart failure DM services to the health plan since 1999, will be responsible for overall account management for the HealthSuite Partners companies. In addition, the health plan has contracted with Alere to expand its DM services to include all heart failure patients -- early to advanced stage. Ronald Geraty, M.D., Alere's president and CEO, said, "We're pleased that our client has elected to extend and expand our services based on the substantial cost savings and improved clinical outcomes we have delivered thus far."
QMed's responsibilities under the contract encompass its industry-leading coronary artery disease and diabetes DM services. Michael W. Cox, QMed president and CEO, commented, "Our three firms have several years of excellent experience working together with other health plan clients. We know what to expect from one another and how to deliver high value to our clients. We're confident that working under the HealthSuite banner will be a win for all organizations and especially the members of the health plan."
AirLogix will deliver its well-recognized asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary DM services under the agreement, and it will also provide the infrastructure for HealthSuite Partners' central database and reporting functions. Susan Riley, AirLogix president and CEO, said, "AirLogix has managed chronic respiratory conditions for health plan memberships representing millions of lives. Our proprietary data analysis and predictive modeling capabilities should offer our new, HealthSuite Partners client the same superior outcomes we have been producing for others."
HealthSuite Partners will commence with patient enrollment in April for the health plan's 535,000 commercial and 48,000 Medicaid members.
About AirLogix
As the pioneer in respiratory disease management, AirLogix is the industry's leading expert and resource for comprehensive respiratory disease management. Since 1994 the company has managed more than 300,000 patient lives, specializing in respiratory ailments including Asthma and COPD. With a focus on high-touch care and high-tech systems, the company provides innovative programs that are flexible to meet the diverse needs of managed care organizations providing assistance in managing chronic respiratory diseases and reducing medical costs. The programs include a combination of inbound/outbound telephonic care, education materials and in-home interaction. AirLogix has sophisticated information technology with which it manages the patient data, operational program flow, client information, analysis and outcomes.
About Alere Medical, Inc.
Founded in 1996, Alere Medical Incorporated is a leader in the development of technology and services that remotely monitor patients. Alere is about connecting, caring, and empowering through a unique combination of at-home monitoring, nurse-patient relationships, and patient education. Alere is the first company to monitor data daily from patients in their homes, and deliver information to doctors complete with registered nurse assessment. Alere's technology delivers actionable information from objective findings and patient symptoms. This helps patients follow and doctors improve their treatment plans for a better quality of life. The result is greatly reduced hospitalizations, substantial cost savings, and positive clinical outcomes. For more information, visit www.alere.com or call 775-829-8885.
About QMed, Inc.
QMed, Inc., provides disease management (DM) services to patients and physicians around the country through its health plan customers. The Company has been selected in two Medicare Demonstrations to test the feasibility of reimbursing its care coordinated DM services in the vast Medicare fee-for-service program. In addition, QMed is the largest DM service provider to Medicare managed care plans. More information on QMed, Inc. can be obtained at www.qmedinc.com, by calling 732-544-5544 or by emailing investor@qmedinc.com.
Except for historical information contained herein, matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. They include but are not limited to those relating to the timely implementation of programs, the impact of competitive product introductions, acceptance and pricing, and, in the case of QMed, those risks detailed in QMed's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Actual results may differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to these risks and uncertainties.
Contacts
Alere Medical, Inc. William Hein, 775-336-1125 WHein@alere.com