Center for Value-Based Health Management Assists Decision Makers in
Designing and Implementing Better Employee Health Management Initiatives
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
today announced the launch of the Center for Value-Based Health Management
(http://www.CenterVBHM.com), an online resource for employers and others
interested in improving the health of their workforce while lowering
overall healthcare costs. The Center for Health Transformation and Health
Alliance Medical Plans joined GSK in the effort to promote effective
approaches to managing rising healthcare costs.
Many employers are rethinking their responses to escalating healthcare
costs because they recognize that chronic diseases-such as asthma,
diabetes, and heart disease-are the root problem. In fact, 45% of Americans
have at least one chronic disease, and $3 out of $4 spent on healthcare
goes toward treating chronic diseases. CenterVBHM was developed to assist
employers, health plans, and benefit consultants to make better-informed
decisions in the design and implementation of employee health management
initiatives. This requires decision-makers to base their decision process
on total value, rather than on cost alone.
For example, an employee who is in control of his diabetes might incur
$5,000 in costs per year, but an employee who is not could cost up to
$45,000 annually(i) due to such things as emergency room visits and
hospital stays-not to mention lost productivity.
"The advantage of looking at total value, rather than just line item
costs, is that by providing employees with incentives to lead healthier
lives and helping them manage their chronic diseases, employers can reduce
their total healthcare costs-and have healthier employees," said Fran
Molettieri, account vice president, GSK Employer Team. "This new website
will be the must- use resource for those looking to redesign their health
management programs to lower costs and improve employee health."
What is Value-Based Health Management?
Value-based health management (VBHM) is a cross-disciplinary approach
to managing the health of employees or other people sharing the same
healthcare plan. It includes the planning, design, implementation,
administration, and evaluation of health management practices that are
grounded in evidence-based guidelines across the healthcare continuum.
Within the VBHM model, initiatives primarily focus on innovative practices
that demonstrate the greatest total value through value-based benefit
design, primary prevention, risk intervention, and chronic disease
management.
CenterVBHM will be an invaluable resource for sharing information on
managing costs and improving health. "We need a system-wide transformation
of health and healthcare in the US," said Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of
the US House of Representatives and founder of the Center for Health
Transformation. "Stakeholders at every level and across the spectrum of
healthcare- individuals, employers, health plans, benefit consultants,
patient advocates, and government leaders at both the state and federal
levels-will benefit from the sharing of best practices on value-based
health management to fight the epidemic of chronic diseases and rising
healthcare costs."
Sickness costs more than wellness.
Value-based health management practices have demonstrated great value,
including lower direct healthcare spending combined with reductions in
productivity-related losses due to sick days, disability, workers'
compensation, employee turnover, and presenteeism. The various VBHM
practices fit well within a wide-ranging approach to managing costs and
improving health.
"We believe one way to improve health is to lead by example," said
Christina Barrington, Director of Pharmacy Services at Health Alliance
Medical Plans. "So we started with a pilot program for diabetic employees
at our parent company, Carle Clinic, to test the value of different
designs," Barrington added.
"The approach of investing upfront for a long-term, healthier, and more
productive workforce made sense to us," says Robert Scully, MD, Chief
Medical Officer, Health Alliance. "Early data from the pilot were
encouraging and we decided to launch an expanded value-based benefit for
the fully-insured diabetic population starting in July of this year."
"We are excited that a resource like CenterVBHM will enable companies
to learn from each other, and we are pleased to join GSK in this effort,"
Barrington said. "It will be an important resource for all those invested
in changing the way we look at healthcare in this country.
Employers large and small, municipal and state governments, and
business coalitions are all embracing VBHM. Case studies presenting the
experiences of Pitney Bowes, the City of Asheville, NC, and the Diabetes
Ten City Challenge participants are featured on the website.
"CenterVBHM is our newest tool for employers, health plan
representatives, and benefit consultants to foster a focused conversation
about how value-based health management fits within the broader healthcare
discussion," said Chris Viehbacher, GSK's president of US Pharmaceuticals.
The Center for Value-Based Health Management offers a growing body of
information and support tools that will enable organizations to:
-- Benchmark current health management practices.
-- Learn from best-practice organizations.
-- Provide the business rationale for value-based health management
initiatives.
In addition, visitors will find a number of tools such as:
-- Podcasts-useful information about value-based benefit design,
adherence, data management, benchmarking, chronic diseases, and
productivity.
-- Total Value, Total Return-the seven rules for optimizing employee
health benefits for a healthier, more productive workforce.
-- BeneFIT Design-the seven steps for implementing a value-based health
management strategy-and assessing an organization's current health
management practices.
-- WorkScript-a program that teaches the value of medication adherence in
managing chronic health conditions and reducing cost and access
barriers that may further drive your healthcare costs.
-- Case Studies-featuring Pitney Bowes, Diabetes Ten City Challenge and
the City of Asheville.
-- Newsroom-housing the latest on VBHM initiatives from around the
country.
New content will be added regularly. In addition, visitors will be able
to share information, becoming active participants in helping the Center
develop as a valuable health management resource.
Visit The Center for Value-Based Health Management at
http://www.CenterVBHM.com.
About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's leading research-based
pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, is committed to improving the
quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better, and live
longer.
(i) Health Partners. Beyond Benefits. January 2006.
http://www.healthpartners.com:747/media/beyondbenefits/BB0106_br.htm Last
accessed 2/5/08
SOURCE GlaxoSmithKline
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