CareFirst Offers New and Expanded Disease Management Programs
Beginning in April 2001, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) will introduce a new and expanded disease management program known as "Care Team." The new Care Team programs offer information, personal support and coordination of physician care to assist people with chronic or life-threatening diseases. These programs help patients manage their conditions in order to achieve the best possible quality of life. Included in Care Team are new programs for heart disease and cancer as well as expanded services for the existing diabetes and asthma management programs.
CareFirst has partnered with Health Management Corporation (HMC) and Quality Oncology (QO) to implement the Care Team programs for diabetes, heart conditions and cancer. Under the direction of CareFirst's medical management division, HMC and QO will work directly with CareFirst members and providers.
Our goal is to ensure that the appropriate level of support is offered to each member at his or her given level of risk for, or severity of, disease and that patients understand and follow their treatment plans. The Care Team programs will allow CareFirst to offer eligible members a more effective, more efficient way of managing these diseases.
To help summarize the programs, we are providing you with some answers to the most frequently asked questions:
Which accounts are eligible for these disease management programs?
The Care Team programs will be available to all members of fully-insured groups. Members of self-insured groups will only be eligible if their group purchases the program as an add-on benefit.
Are these new programs?
The cancer, coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure programs are new. The diabetes program is expanding, and we will continue to offer our existing asthma management program.
Why are these programs important to employees?
The successful implementation of these comprehensive programs is expected to lead to improved quality of life, improved clinical outcomes for members and an overall reduction of hospital and emergency room visits.
How are members selected and notified?
Eligible members for each program are selected by reviewing medical and pharmacy claims. HMC will contact eligible members by letter to invite them to join their programs. Quality Oncology nurses will call eligible members to invite them to join their program. If no response is received, a follow-up letter will be sent to the member. All of these disease management programs are confidential, voluntary and provided at no additional cost to eligible members.
Where can I get additional information?
For more information about any of these Care Team programs, visit www.carefirst.com and click on My Care First.
