Content area
Full Text
HealthSpring Inc. is ready to spend several million dollars to improve the medical outcomes for its members.
The locally owned HMO has contracted with Brentwoodbased American Healthways Inc. (Nasdaq: AMHC) to launch HealthSpring Cares, a one-on-one nurse counseling program offered primarily through an American Healthways nursestaffed call center.
Driving the initiative is the idea that getting to the doctor and getting proper treatment is only part of the long-term equation. It's the time between doctor visits that can prolong the treatment or increase the level of care needed, particularly for patients with heart disease, diabetes or other chronic health problems.
"In a nutshell, we've identified through our claims data the members who have these diseases," says Herb Fritch, HealthSpring CEO. "The more intense the member's disease, the more we deal with them and focus on compliance with their course of treatment. It really focuses on making sure the members know their disease and make sure they have the information they need to supplement what the physicians are doing."
A patient not understanding doctors' orders or not following them means more than a decreased quality of life. It means more costly treatments in the long run. And that...