BLOOMINGTON, MN – The Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) is leading a Bridges to Excellence pay-for-performance pilot in Minnesota that will measure, monitor and reward the successful treatment of depression.
With approximately $44 billion a year lost in worker productivity to U.S. employers and depression listed as a top healthcare spend by employers, BHCAG and BTE hope the Depression Management Care Link model will succeed where past employer-led programs have not.
The best chance of successful intervention occurs when patients connect with their primary care physicians (PCPs) in the doctor’s office, said Carolyn Pare, BHCAG’s chairwoman.
PCPs will coordinate care with psychiatrists and case managers and follow evidence-based treatment guidelines.
“Managing and monitoring is so important,” she said, especially considering the frequency in lack of follow-up care with beneficiaries diagnosed with depression.
PCPs will use a survey and scoring tool for assessments and monitoring. “We are in the initial stages of finally being able to reliably and credibly measure the outcomes of patient management for depression,” said Francois de Brantes, CEO of BTE. “A recent study has shown phenomenal differences in the episode cost of care for patients whose scores improved.”
Results will be tallied in February 2009, with payment to PCPs for improved scores of their patients delivered in the summer of 2009.
Major employers, including Target and the University of Minnesota, are participating.
“Our participation helps to promote Target as a leader for optimal care in the state of Minnesota and the U.S. and promote best practices in terms of the quality of care our team members receive,” said Sue Yund, a spokeswoman for Target.
“It also supports our goal of helping team members become better healthcare consumers by utilizing optimal care clinics,” she said.
Health plans are expected to help fund the program in 2010.
“I think the plans want to see all the financial analyses before they commit to specific incentives,” said Brantes.
While BTE hopes a scalable model will evolve out of the pilot that can be replicated elsewhere, BHCAG wants to “take care of people currently not being taken care of,” said Pare.