On Sept. 10, 2008, the health policy journal Health Affairs published a HealthPartners study on retail clinics. While the study’s findings are not surprising, this is the first major peer reviewed study on cost and utilization trends in retail clinics, like MinuteClinic.

The study compared the cost and utilization for an episode of care between retail clinics, primary care clinics, urgent care and emergency rooms. The main findings are that compared to other care settings, retail clinics:

• cost 32 to 35 percent less per episode
• are gaining in popularity
• tend to appeal to females and the generally healthy on average

HealthPartners plans to continue performing actuarial and benefit analysis to try to understand if the retails clinics will in a higher cost due to higher utilization of retail clinic services  (for example, going to a convenience clinic for a sore throat because it's "free" when it would not be medically necessary).  While there are certain cost advantages to retail clinics, the goal of HealthPartners analysis is to determine if the care coordination concerns that exist mitigate the cost savings that these clinics provide. 

Read more about this study.

We understand the budget constraints employers face. We also understand that you would like to be able to offer your employees as many benefits as possible, but simply don’t always have the funding. Now there’s a way to offer your employees one of the most requested benefits without breaking your bank.

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.

Through HealthPartners Voluntary Dental, your employees will benefit through:

• Lower rates because they get your company’s buying power vs. purchasing dental coverage on their own
• Convenience and tax savings because premiums are paid through a payroll deduction
• Preventive services, including cleanings, sealants and fluoride treatments, covered at 100 percent, with additional coverage for most other dental services
• A 20 percent orthodontic discount which can mean more than $1,000 in savings for every patient
• Large dental networks
• Minnesota’s largest dental PPO network, with 1,800 dentists across the state, including 85 percent of the dentists in the seven-county metro area
• Access to 37,000 dentists at more than 82,000 locations nationwide

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 medical director for medical management and government programs, Dr. Terry Crowson, has been named a 2008 Leader in Disease Management by Managed Healthcare Executive magazine. Managed Healthcare Executive’s Leaders in Disease Management were chosen by an independent panel, based on specific criteria. The complete results are published in the magazine’s September issue.

HealthPartners award-winning disease management programs provide personalized support for members who are dealing with a chronic medical or behavioral health situation. The completely integrated programs benefit members by:

• Empowering members to self manage their condition
• Supporting medication adherence
• Encouraging lifestyle change
• Reducing the occurrence of preventable complications
• Helping members stay out of the hospital

HealthPartners impressive health improvement results and cost savings are recognized by national organizations. In fact, eValue8 – a leading health plan evaluation tool developed by the National Business Coalition on Health – recognized HealthPartners as the national benchmark in both behavioral health and disease management.

Every one of HealthPartners disease management programs result in a positive ROI. In addition, the performance results demonstrate how disease management realistically works in a population. For example, our rare and chronic disease program has resulted in a 14 percent decrease of emergency room visit rates. That means a better quality of life for members and reduced costs for employers.

Learn more about HealthPartners disease management programs.

Navigating the healthcare system isn’t always as easy as we’d like it to be. That’s why HealthPartners has a variety of resources available to members to answer their questions. Members can rely on five dedicated phone lines, including:

• Member Services
  Member Services is the main resource for information on health plan benefits, claims, account balances, provider network searches and more! Nine of 10 issues are resolved with the first call - and callers can ask for any representative by name or request an interpreter.

• HealthPartners Nurse Navigator^SM Program
  Nurse Navigators are specially trained to guide members through networks, benefits, plan selection and decision support to ensure they get the most from their health plan coverage.

• CareLine^SM Service
  CareLine is staffed with registered nurses who can answer questions and discuss treatment options after normal clinic hours. CareLine helps members get the right care at the right time.

• BabyLine Phone Service
  BabyLine is staffed by specially trained nurses that focus on expectant and new parents, up to six weeks after delivery.

• Behavioral Health Personalized Assistance Line (PAL)
  The Personalized Assistance Line (PAL) is staffed with professionals who can guide members through the behavioral health network, benefits and services.  

When members have questions, we’ve got answers — help is just a phone call away.