NEWS RELEASE
Albert
Hawkins
Executive Commissioner
Date: Oct. 5, 2004
Contact: Stephanie Goodman, (512) 424-6951
HHSC Program to Enhance Care for Medicaid Clients with Chronic Illness
AUSTIN – More than 55,000 Texas Medicaid clients with chronic illness soon will be eligible for a new program designed to improve their health and quality of life while reducing health care costs for the state, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced today.
The Texas Medicaid Enhanced Care Program will provide patients with 24-hour access to a nursing hotline and personalized treatment plans. The new service, expected to begin in November, will benefit Medicaid fee-for-service participants who have asthma, diabetes, heart failure, coronary artery disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The Commission expects the program to save $28.6 million in its first year by reducing the costs of treating these clients.
“This benefits not only Medicaid clients but also the public health care system as a whole,” said Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins. “When you proactively manage chronic disease, you also reduce the need for extended hospital stays, emergency-room visits and other expensive medical services.”
The state will review its records and notify Medicaid clients who are eligible for the new program. Physicians also may recommend Medicaid clients to the new program.
Once enrolled in the program, the Medicaid patient has access to a package of services, including:
- A toll-free nursing hotline to help patients decide whether they need to seek additional medical care or if the problem can be handled at home.
- Community-based registered nurses who are experts in specific diseases and can offer face-to-face assistance.
- Registered nurses who will work closely with clients' physicians and treatment teams to implement personal treatment plans.
“This program represents a positive, proactive approach to the treatment of Medicaid clients living with chronic disease,” Hawkins said. “The goal is to treat each person as an individual, take active steps to alleviate discomfort, prevent medical emergencies and slow the progress of a disease when possible.”
The new program is the result of House Bill 727, authored by State Rep. Dianne White Delisi during the 78 th session of the Texas Legislature. ###
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