United Healthcare plays doctor
In the November 2 edition of BusinessWeek, a plan by United Healthcare to reduce the cost of diabetes is explored and lauded as a way to lower health care costs. Here are the nuts and bolts of the plan that will only be offered to large payors as a way to reduce the cost of taking care of diabetic patients:
- The plan requires patients to follow treatment plans and agree to be tracked by United to make sure the are compliant. They must agree to see their doctor two times per year. (Interestingly, every three months is what is common practice.)
- In return, the patient will have discounts on medications for diabetes (co-pays would be waived) and deductibles may be lowered.
- If patients fall off the wagon, and are non compliant, they will be moved back in to their company’s standard plan.
- United will be tracking these patients in a secure database, and may roll out similar programs if the diabetes plan demonstrates improved outcomes and lower costs. BusinessWeek cites a statistic that it costs $30,000 to treat a diabetic patient who “suffers complications.” (No word on what those complications are.)
Aetna insurance has a similar plan which provides prescription discounts to patients with diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and asthma, among others. Aetna notes that people are filling more prescriptions, but it is too early to measure improvement in outcomes and reduced expenses.
Sad as it is, I think that this is the only way American health care consumers will finally start taking care of themselves. Clearly, rants by physicians to patients to take better care of themselves are useless! It appears as if the only way we change our health habits is by taking a hit in the pocket book. So, as hard as it is for me to actually agree with health insurance companies, I think United and Aetna are on to something. I’ll keep you posted.
