New Disease Management Programs Launched

This year, Humana has improved its disease management programs to provide more customized services to members who want assistance maintaining their health.

Humana has launched a new respiratory disease management program for members who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and expanded its disease management program for members with asthma. The programs are available to commercial, fully insured members (over age 30 in the case of COPD and all age groups for asthma).

Disease management supports members’ lifestyle, provides valuable information about health conditions and improves members’ compliance with their physicians’ treatment plans with very little demand on physicians and their office staffs.

Patients who enroll in disease management receive the following:

• Regular telephone calls from a registered nurse or respiratory therapist to help individuals evaluate their health status, improve their compliance and learn more about self-management.
  
• Educational outreach to help individuals build a better understanding of their disease.
  
• Periodic wellness reminders to help improve compliance with national evidence-based guidelines for care.
  
• Access to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer questions.
  
• Web-based tools that provide an additional avenue to participate in disease management programs.
  
• Two tracks — self-management and clinical guidance — to provide disease management to individuals whether their needs are high-acuity or less severe.

Physicians receive the following support when their patients enroll in the program:

• Registered nurses or respiratory therapists reinforce treatment plans and encourage patient compliance.
  
• Web access to current national guidelines and standards of care for chronic disease conditions.
  
• Notification of a patient’s participation in the program and informational updates that can be placed in the patient’s medical record.
  
• Program alerts to notify physicians when a patient is overdue for a recommend standard of care.

Most members are referred to disease management programs through medical and pharmacy claims data. Some members may be referred from other Humana programs, such as case management or Personal Nurse. Physicians also can refer patients, and members can refer themselves. Programs are voluntary and cost nothing for members. For more information, visit Humana.com and click on “Providers” and then “Health & Wellness.”

Back to top