PITTSBURGH, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Dialog Services Corporation, in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), today commenced a three-year pilot program in western Pennsylvania. The Medicare Health Support pilot will provide whole person Health Coaching services to an initial target population of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries who live with certain chronic illnesses. Health Dialog has long supported Medicare beneficiaries through commercial health plans and currently provides access to its services to over 600,000 Medicare beneficiaries, bringing years of experience in serving this population to the western Pennsylvania pilot.
“Today represents a major step forward in supporting beneficiaries who are facing complex medical issues and is a watershed moment for the nation’s Medicare system,” said George Bennett, Chairman and CEO of Health Dialog. “By bringing together the allied resources of the community, we have the opportunity to dramatically improve the health status of targeted enrollees, resulting in tremendous benefits on many levels.”
The Health Dialog Pittsburgh operations center will serve as the functional headquarters for the pilot program, contributing to the region’s reputation for healthcare innovation. A leading provider of analytics and care management services, Health Dialog collaborates with patients and their care providers to help strengthen patient-physician communication and improve the understanding of chronic conditions and treatment regimens. As a result, patients become more active participants in their healthcare with their doctors, leading to improvements in overall quality, and ultimately, lower healthcare costs.
“The Medicare Health Support program is an important part of improving and strengthening the traditional Medicare program,” said Mark McClellan, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). " Health Dialog’s program is consistent with the vision of how the new Medicare is transforming itself into a program designed to meet the modern demands of the beneficiaries we serve.”
The western Pennsylvania pilot is one of eight around the country being implemented under the auspices of Medicare Health Support, formerly referred to as the Voluntary Chronic Care Improvement Program (CCIP), which will evaluate the impact of various care management approaches. Health Dialog is pleased to have the support of leading physicians and physician organizations, such as The American College of Physicians, the American College of Cardiology, and Drs. John Wennberg and Albert Mulley (founders of the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making), on the development of the western Pennsylvania pilot.
About Medicare Health Support
During 2005, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will implement a series of three-year pilots in distinct geographic regions as part of the Medicare Health Support initiative. The Secretary of HHS may expand programs or program components that prove to be successful beginning two to three and a half years after the programs are implemented. Success includes improving quality and satisfaction and achieving expenditure targets.
About Health Dialog
Health Dialog is a leading provider of care management services, including disease management, and is one of the fastest growing privately held firms in the U.S. The firm helps the government, physician groups, health plans and self-insured employers improve healthcare quality while reducing overall costs. The firm’s services include analytic services and telephonic and other care management support for individuals. Health Dialog helps individuals become more actively engaged in their healthcare and have more effective relationships with their physicians. For more information about Health Dialog please visit http://www.healthdialog.com.
Press Contacts: Regina Parundik Mullen PR 412-402-0193 regina.parundik@mullen.com Cathleen Porter Mullen PR 978-468-8956 cathleen.porter@mullen.com
Health Dialog Services Corporation
CONTACT: Regina Parundik, +1-412-402-0193, regina.parundik@mullen.com; orCathleen Porter, +1-978-468-8956, cathleen.porter@mullen.com both of MullenPR
Web site: http://www.healthdialog.com/