| Washington, DC -
A new report, Innovations in Medicaid Managed Care, released by America’s
Health Insurance Plans of Washington, D.C. shows how Passport Health
Plan is successfully serving Medicaid beneficiaries by achieving improvements
in health care while offering a return on investment for the Commonwealth
of Kentucky. Larry N. Cook, MD, Chairman of the Board for Passport
Health Plan, said “Sufficient funding coupled with successful
programs and continued innovation in the private sector can help health
plans and the state governments they contract with to better serve
Medicaid beneficiaries. We have been serving Medicaid members in this
region since 1997. We’re pleased to see these results. Care management
does work in Medicaid.”
Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of America’s Health Insurance
Plans (AHIP), said that health plans have played an important role
for state governments and Medicaid beneficiaries. “Passport
Health Plan has designed programs that work for Medicaid beneficiaries
and also for Kentucky,” Ignagni said. “The successful
programs, outlined in our report, demonstrate quality improvement,
cost containment and an understanding of the populations health plans
serve in Medicaid.”
Passport Health Plan continues to reach out to single parents and
underserved children, to the elderly and disabled, and to patients
struggling with chronic illnesses who have never had ongoing relationships
with caring health professionals—offering them the advantages
of comprehensive services and coordinated care. Passport Health Plan’s
Asthma Disease Management Program was among the featured programs
highlighted in the report. The asthma disease management program
was established in 2000 to improve members’ health and quality
of life, and to reduce unnecessary asthma-related hospitalization
and emergency room use. Emergency room visits and hospital intensive
care unit visits have been significantly reduced and use of appropriate
medications has increased dramatically. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s
Center for Health Care Strategies chose Passport Health Plan’s
asthma disease management for its Best Clinical and Administrative
Practices award in 2002. Other Passport programs featured in the
report include:
- Diabetes disease management
- EPSDT (well child care)
- Mommy & Me (prenatal)
- Case management for adults with disabilities
- Tiny Tot program (neonatal care management)
- Cultural proficiency program
In the past decade, state and federal lawmakers have increasingly
recognized the value of managed care to the Medicaid program’s
long-term stability and sustainability. As of June 2003, according
to data compiled by thefederal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS), about 39% of the 42 million Medicaid participants
were enrolled in health insurance plans providing comprehensive health
care services, and another 20% were covered by less comprehensive
versions of managed care. Meanwhile the fee-for-service system, although
covering less than half of the total Medicaid population, accounted
for more than 80% of all Medicaid spending.University Health Care,
Inc. dba Passport Health Plan provides Medicaid health care services
for over 135,000 members in Jefferson and the 15 surrounding counties.
Counties of service include Breckinridge, Bullitt, Carroll, Grayson,
Hardin, Henry, Jefferson, Larue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby,
Spencer, Trimble, and Washington. The National Committee for Quality
Assurance designated Passport as receiving excellent accreditation.
University Health Care, Inc. dba Passport Health Plan contracts
with AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan of Philadelphia to administer
the program. For information on Passport Health Plan visit www.passporthealthplan.com.
With more than 20 years of experience exclusively serving the Medicaid
population, AmeriHealth Mercy and its affiliates comprise the largest
family of Medicaid managed care plans in the United States, touching
the lives of more than 1.5 million members in eight states, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia, California, Arizona
and Indiana. For more information on AmeriHealth Mercy visit www.amerihealthmercy.com.
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