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www.connecticare.com
ConnectiCare is First Health Insurer in the State to Reimburse Doctors for e-visits – and Seeks to Expand webVisit Access to Meet Consumer Demand
FARMINGTON, CT, - October 24, 2002 --- ConnectiCare, a locally-based managed care company with 280,000 members, today announced that it was considering offering e-visit reimbursement to a greater number of network doctors for online webVisits with their patients due to the success of its participation in a one-year study.
The independent study, conducted by university-based researchers using a secure communication service offered by RelayHealth Corporation (www.relayhealth.com), demonstrated that webVisits -- secure, structured, non-urgent online consultations between doctors and established patients – successfully meet the needs of consumers by increasing convenience and access to their primary care physicians. The virtual visit also costs less and eliminates patient travel and wait time, while compensating physicians for the first time for a personal and professional consultation in a non-office setting.
ConnectiCare has been participating in the RelayHealth webVisit study since the Fall of 2001 with ProHealth Physicians, a group practice of 160 primary care physicians in Connecticut. ConnectiCare is the first health plan in Connecticut to reimburse providers for this virtual method of healthcare delivery.
During the one-year study period, ConnectiCare reimbursed ProHealth doctors $30 for each qualifying webVisit with an eligible ConnectiCare member. ConnectiCare and ProHealth entered into this new venture to determine whether consumers would take advantage of the convenience of the Internet to consult with their doctors for non-urgent health issues.
"Our primary goals in participating in the study were to increase patient satisfaction and access to care,” said Paul Bluestein, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at ConnectiCare. “The study results showed strong patient satisfaction with access, convenience, and quality. Physicians were also highly satisfied and the cost of care was reduced. RelayHealth webVisit technology appears to be a win for everyone – our members, network physicians, and ConnectiCare,” said Bluestein. “Based on these results, we plan to expand reimbursement for webVisits beyond the pilot phase,” added Bluestein.
The study was conducted by researchers at Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley. Analysis of healthcare claims data for 2,274 study patients – compared to claims for 3,390 patients in a matched control group – revealed statistically significant reductions in the total cost of health care. Patients in the RelayHealth treatment group generated costs savings in excess of $1 per patient per month when compared to matched control patients. Both physicians and health plans benefited: physicians received direct reimbursement for the care provided in these non-office based encounters.
Reimbursing health plans saw a greater than 5-to-1 return on investment, suggesting a dramatic opportunity to reduce costs while concurrently improving patient and physician satisfaction. Survey results demonstrated high levels of satisfaction with the service among patients and physicians. A majority of both physicians and patients expressed a preference for this mode of communication for addressing non-urgent health matters.
Patients and participating employers benefited as well: a substantial majority of all patients, rated the service favorably compared to a phone call or office visit, both in terms of convenience and quality.
Over two-thirds of these patients reported an improvement in access to their own physician. Patients also reported a significant decline in the likelihood of missing work for minor medical issues.
The study was conducted in California and Connecticut with the participation of Blue Shield of California, the Blue Shield of California Foundation, self-insured employers within the Silicon Valley Employers Forum, an affiliate of the Pacific Business Group on Health, and ConnectiCare.
About ConnectiCare
ConnectiCare is an independent Connecticut-based managed care company providing health insurance to more than 280,000 members in Connecticut and western Massachusetts, either directly or through its affiliates, ConnectiCare of Massachusetts, Inc. and ConnectiCare Insurance Company, Inc. ConnectiCare holds an “Excellent” Accreditation rating from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its commercial employer group plan and received the “Highest Overall Ranting of Health Plans” in the state in the 2002 Quality Compass report released by the NCQA. ConnectiCare has been ranked the Highest in Overall Member Satisfaction Among HMO Plans in Connecticut by J.D. Powers and Associates as part of their 2001 Commercial Managed Care Satisfaction Study. For more information visit www.connecticare.com.
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