Government
Medicare picks 4 vendors in PHR pilot program
■ The use of personal health records could help beneficiaries better manage their own conditions as well as help physicians better treat them, CMS says.
By David Glendinning — Posted Jan. 5, 2009
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Washington -- Last year, Medicare beneficiaries in South Carolina became the first to have the opportunity to launch their own personal health records. Starting early this year, beneficiaries in two more states will have PHRs available through vendors chosen by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
A new Medicare pilot program in Arizona and Utah will attempt to determine whether outcomes and costs can improve if patients take more control over managing their own health. The information in the PHR is owned and largely supplied by the beneficiary, but physicians may have the chance to contribute as well. CMS will provide additional information based on Medicare claims data.
"This pilot is a major step forward for Medicare. It will provide information and tools that will empower consumers to manage their health better," said Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt. "Importantly, the pilot provides beneficiaries with a choice of products to meet their individual needs."
The four PHR firms that CMS chose to participate in the two-state pilot are:
The firms offer a range of services, some free and some that will require participants to pay a fee. Those packages can include "concierge" options that offer more personalized service to patients as well as links to an expanded set of health care information from physicians, pharmacies and others, according to CMS.
Increasing the use of personal health records in Medicare also could have important patient safety implications, the agency said. Because a beneficiary who chooses to participate can allow his or her physician to access the information, the PHR might prove critical to a doctor caring for that person during an emergency.
