WILMINGTON, Del., May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- AmeriHealth Delaware is offering its members a dramatically expanded Connections Health Management Program designed to help them better manage their health care.
Starting on June 1, 2004, all AmeriHealth members in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware will have access to the Connections program.
At the core of the enhanced Connections program is the belief that the partnerships between physicians and patients are improved when patients become better informed and more involved in the management of their health care.
To that end, the program supports the individual needs of each member across their spectrum of health care issues:
-- For members with one or more chronic ailments such as heart disease, asthma and diabetes, the program offers access to Health Coaches who are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help members better manage these conditions - thus reducing the worsening of symptoms and the need for hospitalizations. -- For members facing a serious health care decision, such as whether to have back surgery, Connections also offers access to Health Coaches, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Coaches offer unbiased information on treatment options and outcomes to help members work more effectively with their physicians to determine a treatment that is most appropriate for them. -- For members with everyday medical concerns, Connections offers a rich variety of information through the Health Coaches or through the “Healthwise Knowledgebase” on the Web.
“The Connections program is an important step toward improving health care,” said G. Fred DiBona, Jr., Chairman, President & CEO of AmeriHealth Delaware. “The program encourages our members, through enhanced knowledge and awareness, to work with their physicians to achieve better health outcomes. In so doing, we believe it will help control the mounting costs of health care.”
The enhanced Connections program also provides: -- Follow-up calls from a personal Health Coach about chronic conditions or other health concerns, if appropriate. -- Health reminders about important tests. -- Special support and Health Coaching for those facing a significant treatment decision. -- Educational materials mailed to your home, or available via audio library, videotape or Web. -- Access to an encyclopedia of health information - “Healthwise Knowledgebase” offers well-organized health information on the Web.
Connections provides information and support across the spectrum of health care needs, supporting significant medical decision and chronic conditions including asthma, diabetes, coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure (CHF). It has been demonstrated that people who manage these conditions correctly can significantly reduce complications and hospitalizations due to exacerbation of their illness, thereby improving their quality of life and lowering overall health care costs.
“Health Coaches can help a member take control of their condition and remind them of the simple things they can do to achieve better overall health,” says Dr. Robert N. Robison, network medical director for AmeriHealth Delaware. “These are the diseases that are most disabling to members, but when members learn to help themselves, they can improve their quality of life.”
The Connections program is delivered through Health Dialog, a leading provider of Collaborative Care Services.
AmeriHealth is a full-service health plan providing comprehensive medical coverage for nearly 310,000 people in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
AmeriHealth Delaware
CONTACT: Butch Ward, Independence Blue Cross, +1-215-241-2220
