ST. PAUL, Minn., March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and its disease management partner American Healthways are recipients of the 2004 AstraZeneca-National Managed Health Care Congress (NMHCC) Partnership Award, which was announced in New York last Tuesday. Blue Cross' BluePrint for Health(R) care support program earned the award for its nation-leading disease management partnership that improves health care cost trends an estimated 2-3 percent by improving the health of members with chronic diseases and conditions.
"This award recognizes a true partnership that was the first in the country to take disease management experiments and expand what the industry has learned to more conditions and tens of thousands more people," said Bill Gold, chief medical officer of Blue Cross. He added, "In just one year it saved $36 million and significantly improved the health of members who need additional support for conditions like arthritis, asthma, back pain, diabetes, and heart disease."
About the Award
The AstraZeneca-NMHCC Partnership Awards honor health-care leaders and organizations that demonstrate quality, access and efficiency in health-care delivery through cooperation and collaboration. For the award, Blue Cross and American Healthways' partnership will be featured at the NMHCC conference May 6 in Washington D.C., and be given a $3,000 grant for the charity of their choice.
A panel of health care industry experts chose this year's winners from more than 100 nominations representing health plans, employers, PBMs, hospitals/integrated delivery systems, community health organizations, group practices, technology vendors, pharmacies and social/health community organizations. For a complete listing of this year's winners visit http://www.nmhcc.com/ .
About the Partnership
In March 2002, Blue Cross and American Healthways entered a 10-year strategic partnership to create the nation's most comprehensive program to support people with chronic diseases and ongoing conditions. Last fall, Blue Cross released the first-year results of the partnership, which showed dramatic improvements in the health of members with 17 chronic conditions and diseases. The program produced:
Improved Health
-- Significant improvement in diabetics' Hemoglobin A1c levels
-- A 14 percent decrease in the overall rate of hospital admissions among
program members.
-- An 11 percent reduction in overall emergency room visits among program
members.
Cost Savings
-- Average savings in excess of $500 per member for the first year.
-- A return of at least $2.90 for every dollar invested.
-- A projected 2-3 percentage point reduction in total fully-insured,
commercial health-care cost trend.
-- Indirect savings: More than 7 percent of members with chronic diseases
and 11 percent of those with impact conditions reported a decrease in
days absent from work or school as a result of the program.
Member Satisfaction
-- More than 95 percent of eligible members are participating in the
program.
-- 90 percent of members with chronic diseases and 74 percent of those
with impact conditions were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with
the program, according to an independent survey of members enrolled for
at least six months.
-- 84 percent of members with chronic diseases and 64 percent of those
with impact conditions reported they had more control of their health.
BluePrint for Health care support is administered through a partnership with American Healthways, the nation's leading and largest provider of specialized, comprehensive care enhancement services to hospitals, physicians and health plans. More than 150,000 members are enrolled in the programs. In all, Blue Cross supports patients with more than 30 chronic diseases and conditions.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A not-for-profit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.6 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MinnesotaCONTACT: Joel Swanson, +1-651-662-2882, or pager, +1-651-629-3961, orKarl Oestreich, +1-651-662-1502, or pager, +1-651-610-7422, both of Blue Crossand Blue Shield of Minnesota
Web site: http://www.nmhcc.com/
