[December 20, 2004] Joslin Diabetes Center Collaborator Awarded Medicare Chronic Care Improvement Pilot Project Tweet BOSTON --(Business Wire)-- Dec. 20, 2004 -- Quality of care to improve for millions of Medicare beneficiaries who suffer from chronic diseases A partnering organization of Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, has been awarded a Chronic Care Improvement (CCI) pilot program by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Through this program Joslin will participate in a coalition that will provide disease management services to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries in Mississippi who have complex diabetes and/or congestive heart failure. CMS announced the award of 10 Chronic Care Improvement pilot projects Dec. 8 as part of its implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. Joslin will partner with McKesson Health Solutions, Broomfield, Colorado, for services in the state of Mississippi. "We are honored to participate in a Medicare Chronic Care Improvement Program and, for the first time, offer disease management services to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries living with multiple chronic illnesses," said James L. Rosenzweig, M.D., Director of Joslin's Disease Management Program, part of the Center's Strategic Initiative's Division. "We look forward to working with McKesson Health Solutions in Mississippi." The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) authorized CMS to select organizations to develop and test the CCIP concept to improve the quality of care and quality of life for people living with multiple chronic illnesses. The disease management programs will help participants adhere to their physicians' plans of care and obtain the medical care they need to reduce their health risks. This is the first time population-based chronic care services have been offered to fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries. These programs will improve the lives of the millions of chronically ill elderly men and women. "The time is now to care for the millions of Medicare beneficiaries who suffer from diabetes and its complications--caring for this disease requires a focused effort on the part of the nation's healthcare providers," added Rosenzweig. "With the new CCIP, we are on our way to improving the standard of care by supplying healthcare providers with the tools they need to offer the best diabetes care available." The Medicare pilot will focus primarily on implementing and evaluating innovative new programs for beneficiaries with congestive heart failure and/or complex diabetes, two highly prevalent, high cost disease states in the Medicare population. Joslin in Boston maintains extensive knowledge and experience in the area of diabetes care of the frail elderly (the CCIP target population), and will employ this expertise in the design of patient education materials, provider education programs, and designing systems to enhance the role of case managers and home health nurses. Joslin physicians will be active on an advisory board, assisting in the analysis of outcomes from year to year and helping design measures to ensure success of the programs. Diabetes and other chronic conditions are a leading cause of illness, disability and death among Medicare beneficiaries and account for a disproportionate share of health care expenditures. About 18 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have diabetes, yet they account for 32 percent of Medicare spending. By better managing and coordinating the care of these beneficiaries, the new Medicare initiative will help reduce health risks, improve quality of life, and provide savings to the program and its beneficiaries, according to Medicare. About Joslin's Disease Management Program Joslin's Disease Management Program offers processes and tools to clinicians and patients that decrease variability in practice, reduce short and long-term complications, increase quality of life and patient satisfaction, and meet or exceed-regulatory standards. The elements of the program include establishment of a collaborative work-team, patient identification, risk stratification, physician education and staff education, clinical guidelines, patient self-management, quality improvement, data management and technological support. For more information on Joslin, call 1-800-JOSLIN-1 or visit www.joslin.org. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]