Diabetes Pilot Project for Bell
and Floyd Countries:Kentucky Governor Fletcher Announces
January 21, 2005
Program designed to improve health, reduce hospitalizations
& decrease disease complications
Middlesboro, Ky. Today, Governor Ernie Fletcher announced
a Medicaid pilot project to help Kentuckians who suffer
from diabetes. The project will serve people in Bell
and Floyd counties, which have been identified as being
among the counties with the highest incidence of diabetes
in the state – 6,100 people in the two counties
combined.
“We want to improve the health of those with
diabetes, reduce hospitalizations, help Medicaid members
in managing their care and decrease some of the complications
caused by diabetes,” said Governor Fletcher.
Diabetes causes various complications and is a leading
cause of death in Kentucky and the United States. There
were more than 91,000 diabetes-related hospitalizations
in Kentucky in 2001.
Under this pilot project, the Medicaid program will
contact health care providers and patients in the two
counties to assist in collecting health information.
Educational information will also be given to providers
and members to help them take a more active role in
their care. For example, Medicaid members may receive
reminders about doctor appointments, blood sugar tests
they need to check and other preventive measures.
In the second phase of the project, nurses from the
Medicaid program will contact patients to see what progress
they are making and determine what other help may be
needed.
“One of the goals of our Medicaid Modernization
project is to empower individuals with chronic diseases
with the tools needed to better manage their care,”
added Governor Fletcher. “By doing this, it will
help Medicaid members avoid serious complications and
hospitalizations.”
The Medicaid program’s two medical directors
– Chief Medical Officer Dr. Thomas Badgett and
Medical Director of Medicaid Services Dr. Steve Aaron
– will oversee the project. The results will be
studied and will provide a basis for a broader disease
management project for Medicaid members across the state.
Disease management, improved technology and benefit
management are the three parts of the Medicaid Modernization
project. Medicaid is a $4.6 billion program that provides
health care to 680,000 Kentuckians.
Source:www.allamericanpatriots.com
|
