Minn. Blues signs disease management deal

The $20-million-a-year design will expand the size of plan's existing program both in diseases covered and in participants enrolled.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews staff. Jan. 7, 2002.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is convinced that disease management programs will save it money and improve the health of chronically ill members -- so much so that it signed a 10-year, $200 million agreement with an outside firm to run an extensive program for the plan.

Industry watchers say the size and scope of the deal, signed with Nashville, Tenn.-based American Healthways Inc., is remarkable. The Blues expects participation to soar to 100,000, compared with the 20,000 using its more limited existing program.

David Nash, MD, an internist, associate dean for health policy at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, and editor of the journal Disease Management, said this was a major advance for patients.

"It's a very exciting step in the right direction," Dr. Nash said, with a growing body of research showing that these programs have an impact on objective symptoms and save money.

"No one to my knowledge has signed a 10-year commitment. That's fantastic," he said. "It sends a message to enrollees in the managed care plan that they're there to stay and can get a personal benefit from this plan."

Dr. Nash said primary care doctors like these programs because their nurses can give patients attention beyond what they get from their doctors.

"My perspective is that these programs are great," Dr. Nash said. "They give added coordination that busy primary care physicians don't have time to do themselves."

Paul Sanders, MD, family physician and chief executive officer of the Minnesota Medical Assn., was more cautious in his outlook. [...]