Update from United Health Care

July 19, 2010

Laura Hahn recently met with Robert Beauchamp, MD, Medical Director for United Health Care.  Here is what she learned. 

• United will be mailing letters to physicians in August of 2010 regarding the Premium Designation Program.
•  United will be rolling out a new model of care very soon called “Lifeprint”.  This new care model will work with Medicare Advantage patients (about 30,000 lives) to provide chronic care services in an outpatient setting.  There will be a “Lifeprint clinic” that physicians will have the option of referring these chronic care patients to in lieu of the hospital.  To read the entire “Lifeprint Clinical Model Review” click here. 

• The United/IBM Patient Centered Medical Home pilot is in its 2^nd year of its two year pilot.  There have been some data recorded at this point and the only reportable piece is that emergency room visits are down for participating physicians’ patients.  There are no immediate plans to expand the pilot but higher ups at United say that if the results are good once the study is complete, they will likely make sure that primary care physicians are paid more for services.  To read the entire informational packet on the PCMH pilot, please click here. 
• Optum Health is offering physicians a chance to contract with their company, the “Now Clinic” to offer 24/7 phone consults with physicians.  Patients will be charged $45 for the first 10 minutes with the option of extending the conversation for an additional 3 minutes for no extra charge.  If you are interested in participating or just want to know more about the “Now Clinic” you can contact James Springrose, MD at 480-596-7915 or email him at james.springrose@optumhealth.com.  To read the informational packet on this topic please click here.