Survey: Managed Care Programs Accessed by HMOs

To ensure that our services match the needs of our clients, we conducted a survey shortly after forming Summit ReSources. The purpose of the survey was to determine our clients’ satisfaction with the managed care vendors they had been accessing prior to the formation of Summit ReSources.  We also wanted feedback as to what types of managed care vendors would be most beneficial. Many of our clients were also contacted by phone or in person to determine what types of managed care programs they currently have in place. All clients have some form of utilization management, consisting of preauthorization for admissions and certain other services, and concurrent review of inpatient admissions.

Disease management programs are primarily internally developed and  focus on the diseases most prevalent within the particular health plan. The sophistication of the programs varies, as well as the degree of outcome reporting. Few health plans have a specific end stage renal disease program, which may be needed in the future.

Almost all clients have contracts with pharmacy benefit managers, which may include reduced pricing for high-cost specialty pharmaceuticals, or they have contracts with separate companies for those drugs. The contracts provide discounts off of the average wholesale prices of the drugs. Some companies also include supplies and home nursing (when medically indicated) as a part of the contracts.

The majority of Summit Re clients  access United Resource Networks (URN) for transplant services and are satisfied with the services provided.

Approximately 25% of our clients have contracted with a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) management vendor.

About half have some form of out-of-network repricing. Price negotiations are done internally for some health plans or contracted out to a national PPO/repricing vendor.

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Did you know?

• URN access fees for transplant services may be submitted as a reinsurance claim expense if the member reaches the reinsurance deductible.
• NICU management fees for programs accessed through Summit ReSources are eligible claim expenses if the member reaches the reinsurance deductible.

Summit ReSources: Make It Your Managed Care Resource

Summit Re established its own managed care department, Summit ReSources, to give you  access to a comprehensive portfolio of services, specifically designed to reduce costs while improving quality of care. The primary goal of Summit ReSources is to be your managed care resource. Consultative Case Management

We are available for consultative case management which includes, but is not limited to, assessment and recommendations regarding utilization, disease and case management programs, access to external managed care vendors at preferred prices, catastrophic case discussions, specialty pharmacy issues and out of area solutions. There is no additional cost for accessing our consultative case management service.

Educational Resources

Summit ReSources has access to a variety of educational opportunities and information about medical management. As information becomes available, we share it with you.

Portfolio

A portfolio of services has been negotiated to help you manage your claims. They include:

Transplant Management

National PPO Network

Non-network Claims Management

Catastrophic Injury/Illness

Recovery/Coordination of Benefits

Neonatal Intensive Care Management

Predictive Modeling

Chronic Disease Management

Summit ReSources was created in September of 2004.  Debbie Stubbs is the primary contact and Laura Pearce is Debbie’s backup for managed care issues.  You will find more information about Summit ReSources on our website at www.summit-re.com/managedcare.asp.

Manage Cancers Through Summit ReSources

One of United Resources Network’s newest programs, Cancer Resource Services (CRS) program, is available to Summit Re clients.  It provides access to centers of excellence for complex cancer care, according to a recent teleconference presented by URN and hosted by Summit ReSources. Expense Savings

CRS can significantly reduce your complex cancer-related expenses. Expenditures in 2005 for complex cancer patients are predicted to reach $5.2 million for plans with 50,000 lives.  CRS can decrease claims costs by up to 41% through contractual discounts and cost-avoidance savings.

Quality Care

CRS significantly improves the quality of care delivered. Quality of care is demonstrated at Centers of Excellence cancer centers by fewer complications and higher survival rates.  Lengths of stay are shorter and patient satisfaction is higher.

Market Position

CRS will strengthen your position in the marketplace. By being the first to offer the program in your service area, you gain a competitive advantage. The program offers access to world renowned cancer centers and programs, both regionally and nationally. CRS directly addresses a high-profile, costly medical condition. CRS can begin to serve the needs of your complex cancer population immediately.

For information on how to access the CRS program, contact Debbie Stubbs at 260-407-3979 or dstubbs@summit-re.com.

Summit ReSources Portfolio of Services: Neonatal Intensive Care Management

Neonatal Trends In 2002, the rate of preterm births was reported as 12.1% of all births, and prematurity was the leading cause of neonatal mortality and birth-related morbidity.  Preterm birth is defined as birth before 37 weeks of completed gestation. Due to the rising rate of multiple births, the proportion of preterm infants has increased by 14% since 1990.

In the 1970s, infants born at a gestational age of 28 weeks were considered extremely premature. Today, some infants born at 21-22 weeks are able to survive. The low birth weight rate (less than 2,500 grams) increased to 7.8% in 2002, the highest level reported in more than three decades. The rate of very low birth weight infants (less than 1,500 grams) was 1.46% in 2002.

The twin birth rate continued to climb, at 31.1 per 1,000 births in 2002. This represents   an increase of 38% since 1990 and a 65% increase since 1980. The rate of triplet and higher-order multiple births declined slightly in 2002. However, there was an overall increase in these higher-order multiple births of more than 400% between 1980 and 1998. This increase was attributed to advances in and greater access to fertility therapies and to childbearing at older ages. Women in their thirties are more likely to have multiple births than younger women, even without fertility treatment.

Complications and Medical Problems

Due to the advances in NICU management and technology, babies are being born earlier and are surviving, but not without complications and medical problems. The most common problems include respiratory distress syndrome, patent ductus arteriosis, apnea of prematurity, intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity, sepsis, and bronchpulmonary dysplasia. Nearly half of all long-term, congenital neurological defects are due to prematurity.

Medical Care and Associated Cost

The annual cost of prematurity to employers' health plans, which included the cost to the employer and employee, was estimated at $4.7 billion in 1992.   The federal-state Medicaid program finances 3% of births nationally. ²   NICU care is generally separated into four levels, with Level I providing care for uncomplicated obstetrical and neonatal populations and Level IV managing the most complicated patients. Hospital facilities define the levels differently, so it is prudent to ask the facility what types of services are provided in each level and by what type of healthcare providers. Level IV NICUs are often hectic, noisy places. This environment may contribute to the physiologic instability of the infants and may interfere with recovery from illness, growth and development. Infants may manifest signs of stress by changes in skin color (mottling), apnea, bradycardia, hiccups, posturing and reflux of feedings. NICUs are now moving toward providing care while trying to decrease the effects of the environment. Measures may include darker rooms, covers for isolettes, soft music, scheduling care in clustered blocks of time to allow rest periods, swaddling, positioning aids, and occupational/physical therapy to work on developmental milestones.

Sources:

1. National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 52, No. 10, Dec. 17, 2003.
2. National Center for Health Statistics, final natality data for 2000. Prepared by March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center, 2002.
3. Hazinski, MF (1999). Manual of Pediatric Critical Care.

Summit ReSources Portfolio of Services: Disease Management

Cost savings from proactive disease management coupled with patient self management through education: Health Management Corp., Inc.

This award-winning health and disease management company addresses high-cost, high-impact conditions to achieve definitive value for health plans, employers and government entities.  Disease management is available for asthma, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, diabetes, low back pain and metabolic disorders (e.g. obesity).

Quality Oncology

Quality Oncology, a subsidiary of Matria Healthcare, Inc., is the largest and most experienced provider of comprehensive cancer treatment support programs. Quality Oncology’s approach utilizes the expertise of seasoned oncology nurses and physicians, assisted by a state-of-the-art, web-based Integrated Care Management system with embedded evidence-based cancer treatment guidelines.

Matria Healthcare, Inc.

Total Health Enhancement Solution includes a combination of preventive, educational and care management services and programs designed to curb costs while improving employee health. Programs include maternity (including gestational diabetes and high-risk pregnancy), neonatal intensive care, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure,   diabetes, depression, acute low back pain, and obesity management.

United Resource  Networks

URN’s Cancer Resource Services program targets the relatively small number of complex cancer patients that drive the majority of the medical expense related to the treatment of cancer.

EnvisionCare Alliance, Inc.

EnvisionCare’s Kidney Management Services (KMS) program provides clinical consulting and administrative services that can reduce complications and costs associated with end stage renal disease.

Summit ReSources: Complement Your Managed Care Programs

Catastrophic managed care programs need to complement rather than replace your programs. Summit Re and GE Insurance Solutions are dedicated to providing you protection from catastrophic claims. Together, we designed Summit ReSources, a program of managed care services whose goal is to bring value and service support in your management of catastrophic risk. In most situations, the managed care expenses of vendors are treated as an eligible claim expense by ERC. Our website (www.summit-re.com) has a complete listing of the programs which are available.