DMAA Statement on 18-month interim report on Medicare Health Support

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"Disease management and other population-based strategies along the continuum of care for chronic disease have produced well-documented clinical and financial benefits in a broad variety of publicly and privately insured populations.

"We regret that this new analysis of Medicare Health Support diverges so significantly from that positive experience of other programs, including numerous examples in the private sector and innovative state Medicaid initiatives.

"This report underscores the need to focus on those aspects of population health management that show promise to improve health status and lower costs—and to understand why other approaches fell short. We welcome further study and analysis, particularly with respect to selection of study populations and the severity and progression of their illnesses.

"MHS endeavored to show how population health improvement can benefit fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries. Going forward, we must keep this goal: to show how population health improvement can improve quality by improving care for all Medicare beneficiaries."

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About DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance

DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance convenes all stakeholders providing services along the care continuum toward the goal of population health improvement. These care continuum services include strategies such as health and wellness promotion, disease management, and care coordination. DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance promotes the role of population health improvement in raising the quality of care, improving health outcomes and reducing preventable health care costs for individuals with chronic conditions and those at risk for developing chronic conditions. DMAA's activities in support of these efforts include advocacy, research and the promotion of best practices in care management.

DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance represents more than 200 corporate and individual stakeholders—including wellness, disease and care management organizations, pharmaceutical manufacturers and benefit managers, health information technology innovators, biotechnology innovators, employers, physicians, nurses and other health care professionals, and researchers and academicians. Visit DMAA on the Web at www.dmaa.org.

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