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 SolutionsCONTACT: Amy Delmore of Pfizer Health Solutions, +1-212-733-0248, or TodMcKay of Blue Cross of Idaho, +1-208-331-7465
Web site: http://www.pfizerhealthsolutions.com/
