Healthcare IT News - June 2008 - (Page 27)

www.HealthcareITNews.com June 2008 ■ Healthcare IT News 27 NEWSBRIEFS CMS lauNChES PhR PIlot FoR MEdICaRE BENEFICIaRIES The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched last month a new pilot project that encourages traditional Medicare beneficiaries to use an online personal health record to track their healthcare services and better communicate with their providers. The CMS pilot – which takes place in South Carolina – gives Medicare beneficiaries the ability to collect and access information, such as medical conditions, hospitalizations, doctor visits and medication. WellPoint goes ‘beyond the Web’ care system and data together. Gregg By PaTTy ENrado, Contributing Editor M a l k a r y, INDIANAPOLIS – WellPoint members now the founder have the ability to look up provider inforand managmation such as physician office location ing director and directions on their cell phones and of Spyglass mobile devices. BlackBerries. WellPoint is offering provider information on cell phones. This application is just the first of many, Consulting, called WellPoint’s mobile proProviding hassle-free service experiences said Mary Scanlon, senior vice presi- vider directory “only a feature” that while is when and where consumers need dent of WellPoint’s eBusiness and a benefit to consumers reduces costs associthem is one way health plans can consumer technology. Beyond push- ated with its self-service portal. deliver more value to their employMalkary said he’s more interested in the ing personalized information to ers and consumers, said Mark Boxer, consumers, other potential applica- logical next step, which could include the president and CEO of WellPoint’s tions include member-built content, integration of remote patient monitoring operations, technology and governhealth risk assessment and disease and mobile devices. ment services business unit. Paul DeBeasi, senior analyst in wireless management program guidance, and “It can’t be just about brand net- Mary Scanlon and mobility at the Burton Group, agreed. online/offline incentives. work depth and service,” he said. Scanlon said these services will help “It took vision on WellPoint’s part to see this Boxer said WellPoint is moving beyond the Web with its tools. With the provider WellPoint become a “more trusted partner” as an opportunity to do more with mobile directory being one of the most used tools, that provides timely, relevant information phones, but where this can go is really it was the natural first application to put on as well as bring a highly fragmented healthwEllPoINT see page 28 The News: WellPoint pushes provider information to cell phones. ■ What It Means: The application is the first of many for WellPoint and other payers. ■ Analysts predict more mobile services to follow. NoRth CaRolINa BluES RECEIvE BtE CERtIFICatIoN Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has received Bridges to Excellence Certification. Bridges to Excellence is the nation’s largest effort to reward physicians for delivering high-quality care. To receive the BTE Certification, BCBSNC had to demonstrate a strong commitment to implementing the BTE programs as an administratively simple and efficient solution for employers. By participating in Bridges to Excellence, doctors can receive recognition and financial rewards for meeting quality standards. MIChIgaN BluES oFFER MEdICaRE INFo oNlINE Michigan physicians and hospitals will soon be able to go online to check eligibility and benefit information for people with traditional Medicare coverage. The new resource is made possible by a healthcare electronic data interchange clearinghouse and Web portal developed by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Doctors and hospitals in the state already have online access to benefit and eligibility information for individuals enrolled in BCBSM, Blue Care Network and Medicaid plans, using BCBSM’s single Web portal - called web-DENIS. BCBSM calls the addition of traditional Medicare information a “giant leap forward.” Maine inks $179M deal for Medicaid IT By Molly MErrIll, Associate Editor AUGUSTA, ME Aetna to link physicians to patients Member consent and technology platform vital. HARTFORD, CT By PaTTy ENrado, Contributing Editor BluE CRoSS oF Idaho ExtENdS PBM CoNtRaCt By FIvE yEaRS WellPoint NextRx, the nation’s largest health plan-owned pharmacy benefits manager signed a new five-year agreement with Blue Cross of Idaho to serve as the pharmacy benefits manager for the insurer’s 550,000 members. NextRx has served as PBM for Blue Cross of Idaho, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, since 1997. Under the agreement, NextRx will continue to provide Blue Cross of Idaho with pharmacy benefits management services for the plan’s individual, group and Medicare Part D members. More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: PaYerS 0608 – The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has inked a $179 million, seven-year contract with Unisys. The Blue Bell, Pa-based technology company will provide a new Medicaid Management Information System to manage Maine’s Medicaid program. The Unisys system will replace technology from CNSI. Maine spent $47 million from late 2001 through Jan. 10, 2007, and committed an additional $7 million MaINE see page 28 – Aetna is working with NaviMedix to provide physicians access to members’ personal health records at the point of care. “Electronic delivery of PHR summaries provides a more complete clinical profile of a patient when physicians need it,” said Aetna spokeswoman Tammy Arnold. “Having this information at physicians’ fingertips could help reduce medical errors and improve patient safety.” Aetna’s PHR, which is driven by ActiveHealth Management’s CareEngine system, contains up The News: Aetna to make it possibile for doctors to gain access to members' PhRs ■ The Goal: An interconnected electronic health record for every patient. ■ to 24 months of health information generated by claims data and members. So far, more than 4 million members have access to Aetna’s PHR and can grant permission to share their PHR summaries with providers who have signed up to use NaviMedix’s NaviNet multi-payer platform. “We are still in this transition stage, but, as of April 2008, more than 320,000, or 39 percent of Aetna participating providers were deployed with NaviNet and can access PHRs if given permission by their patients,” said Arnold. Tom Morrison, executive vice president at NaviMedix, said the ultimate goal is an interconnected electronic health record for every patient. With the current barriers ensuring a long time horizon for achieving this goal, he said Tom Morrison this solution delivers a seamless, practical approach that gets health information in front of the physician at the point of care. Aetna and NaviNet are conducting assessments and evaluating ways to measure the aETNa see page 28 Healthedge lands $13M funding HEalTHCarE IT NEws editors ● – HealthEdge, a provider of claims and benefit administration, business intelligence and portal software products for healthcare payers, has secured a $13 million investment commitment from Psilos Group, a healthcare venture capital and private equity firm. HealthEdge CEO Rob Gillette said the company would use the funds to increase the size of BURLINGTON, MA its business and to continue to invest in advanced product capabilities. Gillette said the company was experiencing growing demand for its products. “We believe that HealthEdge’s HealthRules is the only software platform that meets the needs of today’s healthcare marketplace,” said Albert Waxman, senior managing member of Psilos Group. ■ More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: FUNDING 0608 Self-service provider directories “Thinking about the last time you used your health plan’s online physician provider directory, which of the following best describes your experience?” I found the doctor or institution I was looking for I could not find the doctor or hospital in the directory , so I called my health plan I could not find the doctor or hospital in the directory , so I knew he/she/it was not in the network 88% Base: U.S. commercially 6% insured consumers who have used their health plans’ online physician or provider directory to look up a doctor, hospital or 6% other healthcare institution. ● e ● Connect: GraPHS 0608 SoURCE: 19Th ANNUAl 2008 hIMSS lEADERShIP SURvERy SPoNSoRED By CISCo - CIo FoRRESTER RESEARCh INC. www.HealthcareITNews.com HealthcareITNews.com HealthcareITNews.com

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Healthcare IT News - June 2008

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