BALTIMORE, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- XLHealth today announced that it has signed a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to offer a Medicare Health Support pilot program to invited Medicare beneficiaries in Tennessee.
XLHealth will offer free health support services to approximately 20,000 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with one or more chronic health conditions. Beneficiaries will be able to receive a variety of services that make day-to-day health management easier and more effective.
CMS will mail a letter to beneficiaries inviting them to participate in the program in early January, and XLHealth will begin contacting them in mid- January to determine their interest in participating.
“We’re pleased to join other Medicare Health Support organizations in this important initiative,” said Executive Vice President Paul Serini. “Together, we’ve taken the next critical step in making these support services available to chronically ill beneficiaries. I’m confident that our efforts will not only improve the health and well-being of the Tennessee participants, but also help rein in the dramatic rise in Medicare costs.”
The three-year pilot program is designed to improve the health and wellness of Medicare beneficiaries living with one or more chronic health conditions. XLHealth is one of eight organizations nationwide that will operate regional Medicare Health Support pilot programs. XLHealth has guaranteed a five percent net savings to CMS and also has committed to achieving specific clinical quality goals and participant satisfaction goals.
Participating beneficiaries will be assigned an XLHealth Personal Support Team comprising a dedicated local program manager, personal support nurse, telephone coach nurse and local pharmacist - all of whom will work to support the participant’s physicians’ care plan. The program will not restrict access to physicians and will provide additional services, such as:
-- Preventive screenings -- Health education and coaching -- Care plans and goal reports that empower participants to work with their physicians to achieve optimal care -- Face to face nursing visits as needed -- Assistance with healthcare devices and equipment -- Reminders for lab tests, eye exams and other essential services -- Nutrition and depression evaluation and support -- Support groups and personal counseling
In support of this Medicare Health Support program offering to beneficiaries, the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, the Tennessee Medical Association, and AARP are encouraging invited beneficiaries, along with their physicians, to participate.
XLHealth is one of the nation’s fastest growing disease management companies and a leader in the delivery of positive healthcare outcomes. XLHealth’s track record continues to produce significant declines in the utilization of acute health services. For example, over a four-year period, the company’s innovative programs generated significant savings for one of its clients: amputation rates declined by more than 55 percent, heart bypass surgery rates declined by nearly 60 percent, and renal failure admissions declined by more than 45 percent.
Medicare Health Support is designed as a two-phase initiative. Phase I pilot programs will operate for three years. If some of the programs or program components prove to be successful in improving clinical outcomes, increasing beneficiary satisfaction, and meeting Medicare spending targets for their assigned populations, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) is authorized to proceed with Phase II expansion within two to three-and-a- half years after the start of Phase I.
About XLHealth
XLHealth (http://www.xlhealth.com) has been at the forefront of disease management innovation since its inception. Founded by physicians, many of whom were affiliated with Johns Hopkins, XLHealth supplements the more customary remote telephone “call-center” or direct mail support with ongoing, face-to-face meetings with nurses and physicians. XLHealth also uses tight coordination of care, behavior modification, and in-depth patient profiling integrated with claims, pharmacy, and lab information to generate sophisticated, predictive modeling. The company’s programs prevent avoidable and expensive disease complications and hospitalizations. XLHealth was recently awarded the Disease Management Association of America’s (DMAA) Recognizing Excellence Award for “Best Disease Management Program: Medicare.”
XLHealth
CONTACT: Kristin Brunnworth, +1-410-962-6447, klb@planitagency.com, forXLHealth
Web site: http://www.xlhealth.com/
