Healthcare IT News - December 2007 - (Page 31)

www.HealthcareITNews.com payERS December 2007 ■ Healthcare IT News 31 Portals, grocery chain offer help with Medicare Part D By PaTTy ENrado, Contributing Editor – During Medicare Part D enrollment season, seniors can access an online comparison tool from four consumer healthcare information portals and Safeway Pharmacy to choose a plan that meets their needs. With market disruptions forcing seniors to make changes in their Part D plans this season, DestinationRx is delivering data LOS ANGELES standards and technology make any plan changes in to enable cost and quality the second year. transparency in the deciWith large health plans, sion-making process, said including Humana and John McCreedy, executive AARP, increasing premiums vice president of consumer or no longer providing autoJohn McCreedy markets. matic enrollment, seniors In the first year Part D was will be forced to switch plans. offered, enrollees made three to DestinationRx’s tool will help six visits before settling on a plan, create a portable, online medicine he said. More than 85 percent of cabinet for seniors, enabling them Medicare beneficiaries did not to share medication information with family, providers and trusted sources. Its database makes it possible for consumers to determine the lowest cost alternatives for health and drug plans. Consumer portals Healthline. com, Healthcentral.com, Healthcare.com and HealthGrades.com are offering the tool. “We are providing data standards used by plans and Medicare players and making it broadly available on other sites to create a much larger market and make consumers aware of their choices,” McCreedy said. John Koski, MD, director at investment bank Allen & Co., noted that DestinationRx is the first company with a product that shows transparency at the point of sale. “It’s all about transparency at an actionable moment,” he said. “ ■ More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: PartD 1207 ● dIaBETIC Continued from page 30 the patient as a proactive physician who was instrumental in treating all the chronic conditions. “The system is working,” he said. O’Brien pointed out that the replicable model increased reimbursement payments for primary care physicians by 20 percent while reducing the overall spending for the diabetic population. David St. Clair, founder and CEO of MEDecision, said health plans should strive to advance connectivity and collaboration with the goal of improving members’ healthcare. The collaborative is in the midst of a three- to five-year plan of building a comprehensive, fully integrated medical management transaction platform that will deliver more functionality for all stakeholders, Schuyler said. ■ More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: DIabetIc 1207 ● rEalTImE Continued from page 30 submitting hundreds of claims monthly, said Willman. Terri Foose, CFO for MacGregor Medical Center, said his organization has seen a rise in patient satisfaction and communication, as well as greater efficiency and cost savings. Other large payers have invested in real-time platforms. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina provides immediate adjudication through health IT vendor RealMed. Morgan Tackett, director of electronic solutions, said BCBSNC has seen an increase in e-claims from 63 percent in 1999 to 92 percent in 2007. Suspends, denials and telephonic inquiries have decreased, while throughput has increased. BCBSNC is looking to drive e-submission rates to 95 percent and provide institutional batch claims and true end-to-end with electronic funds transfers and allow attachments and secure communication. Payers need to engage associations and organizations to promote realtime claims adjudication to their membership, Willman said. ■ More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: realtIMe 1207 With Thomson Healthcare, you get the information you need before you reach the hospital doors. From demographics and patient history to laboratory results, active medications, and current orders, you’ll have access to the best, most up-to-date information when and where you need it. Through Clinical Xpert™ Navigator, Thomson Healthcare delivers critical patient data directly to your BlackBerry® smartphone or other mobile device. To see the Clinical Xpert in action, visit www.thomsonhealthcare.com/experiencemobile. ● e ● Connect: tHoMSoN 1207 http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.Healthline.com http://www.Healthline.com http://www.Healthcare.com http://www.Healthcentral.com http://www.HealthGrades.com http://www.healthcare.com http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8202 http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8199 http://www.thomsonhealthcare.com/experiencemobile http://www.thomsonhealthcare.com/experiencemobile http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8197 http://www.healthcareitnews.com/eConnect.cms?id=8254

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Healthcare IT News - December 2007 Contents Paying Docs Seal of Approval Key to Success Stage 4 Stark Payoff New Kids on the Block Real-time Trend On the Block Picture Perfect Head of the Class

Healthcare IT News - December 2007

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