OREANDA-NEWS. June 04, 2012. ValueOptions® and McKesson announced a strategic partnership to deliver holistic, coordinated care to dual eligible individuals across the nation. McKesson Corporation is a Fortune 500 healthcare services and information technology company and ValueOptions is a health improvement company that specializes in serving individuals suffering from mental illness and substance abuse disorders. The partnership delivers an integrated, comprehensive suite of services that support better health for individuals with complex conditions through robust physical and behavioral healthcare coordination. This improved care coordination helps reduce long-term care spending, unnecessary emergency room visits and lower hospitalization rates.

Dual eligible beneficiaries are those who are covered by both Medicaid and Medicare. This diverse population includes children and adults with severe disabilities and impoverished seniors who need Medicaid to cover what Medicare does not, such as long term care, premiums and copayments.  There are 9 million of these individuals receiving benefits from Medicaid and Medicare, accounting for USD 320 billion in U.S. healthcare spending.

The engine behind this care coordination is an integrated technology platform that combines McKesson and ValueOptions functionality into a seamless healthcare management system that offers an array of benefits to payers.
An integrated patient record that provides a comprehensive, single-view of the member,  helps identify gaps in care and provides more thoughtful care coordination
A private, secure cloud deployment accessible through single sign-on by health plan staff, providers, McKesson or ValueOptions users and even the member, to improve care plan development and team communication
Rich, predictive modeling capabilities that helps payers to more effectively stratify high-risk comorbid populations and deliver effective health improvement interventions
Actionable, integrated data analytics – mobile device enabled – to better evaluate care management trends and track outcomes across the entire whole health spectrum

In addition to care coordination technology, McKesson and ValueOptions offer locally-based, multi-disciplinary care teams to assist with the transition of individuals from one care setting to another, such as hospitals to facilities for follow-up care, home or end of life services. Case managers follow individuals through a network of providers, identifying opportunities for improving care and reducing cost.  And experienced registered nurses help to reduce emergency room visits by redirecting members to the appropriate level of care via a nurse advice hotline.

In essence, the McKesson/ValueOptions partnership offers a turn-key technology solution and complementary care management services for health plans interested in Medicaid and dual eligibles business and for large government procurements.

“ValueOptions is a proven entity when it comes to managing mental health care and substance addiction services for individuals with complex, comorbid healthcare needs,” states Dr. Emad Rizk, President of McKesson Health Solutions. “When we look at the costs associated with people dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid alone, McKesson sees a significant market need. By partnering with ValueOptions, we have a robust, yet highly customizable solution that we can tailor to answer any health plan or government agency requirement.”

By fully integrating the physical and behavioral health management platforms, McKesson and ValueOptions will help to identify high-risk, costly populations within a health plan’s or government agency program’s membership. The partnership will effectively target these populations with a more cohesive whole health management approach to care, emphasizing both intensive physical health treatment and behavioral health services that address any mental or addiction barriers to treatment plan compliance. The end result will offer a more effective spend of scarce budget dollars for payers  and more positive outcomes for individuals.

“McKesson is a forward-thinking organization, leading healthcare transformation for the better health of patients and better business health of its customers,” states Heyward Donigan, ValueOptions President and Chief Executive Officer. “When we combine our expertise in managing impactful behavioral health services for high-risk populations with McKesson’s technology and physical care expertise, we have a partnership which offers substantial benefits to clients and ultimately those individuals that desperately need a more cohesive, integrated healthcare experience.”