HealthPartners programs to improve the quality and efficiency of care reduced medical expenses by $74 million in 2007.

The greatest cost savings was the result of generic drug utilization. HealthPartners programs to increase generic drug utilization reduced expenses by more than $31 million in 2007. The percentage of generic prescriptions filled by HealthPartners members exceeds the national average at 68 percent.

In 2007, HealthPartners introduced decision support for diagnostic imaging, which reduced costs by more than $3.5 million. This program provides physicians with the latest guidelines from the American College of Radiology to confirm that the test is appropriate prior to performing the test.

Other notable cost-saving programs include HealthPartners disease management, case management and behavioral health programs, which led to savings of nearly $40 million. Learn more information about the effectiveness of these programs in 2007.

HealthPartners is committed to helping consumers access high quality, affordable health care. Because of this commitment, HealthPartners has partnered with Carol.com, a Web site where consumers in the Twin Cities can comparison shop for health care from competing providers.

HealthPartners is taking a leadership role with Carol.com by offering more than 50 care packages from HealthPartners medical and dental clinics. Plus, HealthPartners health plan members are able to access their in-network rates for each care package.

The goal of Carol.com is to foster a marketplace where consumers are actively engaged in their care. On Carol.com, health care services are assembled into condition-specific care packages. Using the Web site, consumers are able to choose the package and provider that work best for them based on the price and the services offered in the package.

On the Carol.com marketplace everyone plays a role in changing the way health care is consumed; consumers will inspire innovation from providers to create new value; providers will price services more effectively and aggressively while working to differentiate their services, and physicians and medical staff will be driven to enhance the consumer experience.

HealthPartners is a consistent leader in innovation for health care reform and consumer engagement. For example, the cost and quality information on healthpartners.com continues to be a leader in the market. Carol.com is another way HealthPartners is working to promote innovation in the marketplace. Please visit Carol.com to learn more.

Each year HealthPartners surveys a group of employers to help us understand your needs and learn about ways we can better serve you and your group. Thank you to all of the employers that participated in this year’s survey! We understand what you need from your health plan, including a strong relationship, customization opportunities, wellness programs, exceptional customer service and member-friendly systems, all at an affordable price.

Below you will find a summary of the survey responses from this year and what we’re doing as your partner.

Trend Management is a priority
Trend management is a top concern throughout the health care industry. HealthPartners continues to develop products and programs that improve the health of your employees while working to control cost. These health and wellness programs can be customized for the unique needs of your employee population. Learn more about these programs.

Steps taken to improve your experience were successful
Last year’s survey told us that we needed to take steps to improve proposal timeliness, ease of enrolling, enrollment accuracy, Member ID card delivery, billing, claims processing and the teamwork between HealthPartners brokers and consultants. That became a focus of 2007 that resulted in a significant improvement in this year’s results. We hope that you’ve noticed a change for the better! While we’re thrilled to see we’re improving, you can expect to see continuous updates to make these processes even better in 2008.

Service is continually improving
We were pleased to see that HealthPartners is viewed as stronger than the competition on service – including ease of doing business, account-based service and member-based service. While these results are great, we will not be satisfied until 100 percent of our clients and members are satisfied.

HealthPartners award-winning products and programs
HealthPartners programs have consistently been identified among the best in the nation. This year we heard that we could have done a better job of communicating with you about our market-leading programs and services – and how they benefit you. Watch for more information in 2008 on HealthPartners award-winning programs and products – and what they mean for you!

Expansion of member tools on healthpartners.com
We’re glad you recognize the value of providing members with tools and information to help them understand health care and make informed decisions concerning their health. In 2008 you will see a significant expansion of the online tools at healthpartners.com. The member portal of the Web site is being completely redesigned to deliver a more intuitive, educational experience for members. This redesign will help us educate members through reliable, easy-to-find information.

Health is what we do – partnership is how we do it. It’s the partnership with you and our members that drives the future of HealthPartners. Thank you for taking the time to provide us with this valuable insight. We look forward to building upon the success of 2007 to make your experience in 2008 even better!

HealthPartners is rolling out a Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program targeted to fully insured members currently taking five or more prescriptions and incurring more than $1,000 within a 3 month period.

Medications can improve health and extend life. But if they’re not taken properly, medications can cause harm and not work up to their full potential. The Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program provides members with a free, voluntary appointment with an experienced clinical pharmacist to help them get the results they need from their medications.

The MTM program goes beyond traditional pharmacist counseling to provide:

• One-on-one consultation at a HealthPartners clinic or over the phone with an experienced HealthPartners clinical pharmacist.
• A review of the member’s medications, including specific answers to questions about over-the-counter medications and herbal and nutritional supplements.
• Suggestions on potential cost savings.
• Advice on how to best use medications and how to avoid possible problems, such as side effects and drug interactions.
• Guidance on how to simplify medications or help creating a detailed schedule for best results.
• Monitoring of conditions affected by medications, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, etc.

This consultation will help members get the most from their medications, answer their questions and help them discover new ways to manage their health. This program can keep members safe, informed and help them effectively manage all aspects of their prescription medications, including cost.

Learn more about the MTM Program

HealthPartners recently added an online Drug Interaction Checker to the arsenal of member tools available at healthpartners.com. The Drug Interaction Checker provides easy-to-understand information regarding potential interactions based on the prescription medications, over-the counter medications, and vitamins and herbal supplements entered by the member.

The Drug Interaction Checker will detect the following interactions:

• Drug-to-Drug
• Drug-to-Food
• Drug Duplication
• Alcohol
• Nicotine
• Caffeine

The member will be given information describing all of the potential interactions that were detected. If an interaction is detected, an image will appear along with a description of the potential interaction. Identified interactions will be listed as severe, serious, moderate or unknown.

While this information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor or pharmacist, it can help members manage their health and maximize their pharmacy benefit. Members are encouraged to consult a health care professional before taking any drug or changing any course of treatment.

Please click here to test the Drug Interaction Checker today!

As an employer, you’re ever mindful of the cost of providing benefits to your employees. In fact, you may have opted out of offering your employees a dental plan this year. If that’s the case, we have good news for you; HealthPartners offers Voluntary Dental plans that won’t cost your company a dime.

HealthPartners Voluntary Dental is a winning proposition for everyone. You win by having no financial obligation for offering your employees a dental plan; your employees win through the value of your organization’s buying power because they gain access to a dental plan at a reasonable cost.

HealthPartners Voluntary Dental plans give your employees access to 37,000 dentists at more than 80,000 locations nationwide – including 1,750 in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, which is the region’s largest preferred provider organization dental network.

Our Voluntary Dental plans also give you the flexibility to decide which benefits are offered. Plus, preventive services, including sealants and fluoride treatments, are covered at 100 percent from day one.

So when it’s time to renew your HealthPartners medical plan this year, think about offering a Voluntary Dental plan, too. Just ask your HealthPartners sales executive or your broker for more information.

 

HealthPartners Today E-News is a new electronic member newsletter filled with valuable information on nutrition, diet, exercise, and physical and mental health issues. Six issues are sent each year to members that are registered for a personal account at healthpartners.com.

Plus, you can share the E-News with your employees to get them engaged in their health and wellness. Each issue is posted on the employer section of healthpartners.com.

Don’t forget - all HealthPartners members receive a print edition of our newsletter, HealthPartners Today, too. Now you can customize this newsletter with your company logo and articles specific to your company’s health initiatives. To learn more, contact your HealthPartners sales executive or your broker.

 

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