WASHINGTON, Apr 7, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Using regular phone contact to
check on the health of chronically ill U.S. Medicare patients appears to cost
more than it saves the system, a study found.
The test began three years ago, using eight companies to provide the service.
The problem is that the fees paid to the companies make the program uneconomic,
The New York Times reports.
The goal of the system is to avoid hospitalization whenever possible. Nurses
employed by the contractors keep in touch with patients by phone, making sure
that they take medication and are seeing the right specialists.
The companies have been paid a total of $360 million since 2005. Preliminary
data suggest that their fees would have to be slashed to make the program pay
off in cost savings.
The program has also taken on a life of its own. Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and
Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., are pressing for its continuation. Companies involved
in the program are based in both of their states.
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Copyright 2008 by United Press International