eTXHealthinsurance Finds Texas Health Insurance and Services Designed for Better Patient Outcomes

Oct. 20, 2011 - PRLog -- Texas health insurance and health care are undergoing a dramatic reorientation. The dominant fee-for-service payment system financially rewards providers for the number of procedures or treatments provided. It’s still more lucrative to treat very ill people than to keep people healthy, but eTXHealthinsurance has found examples of where Texans can find new models of health care delivery that lead to better patient outcomes.

With projections that national health care spending may grow to $4.6 trillion a year by 2020, innovators are looking at cost-saving measures that do not ration health care. In September, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a pilot program to reward primary care practices for providing systems they think will produce better patient outcomes. Practices will receive a monthly fee for managing chronic care better and for collaborating with specialists to coordinate patient care. Primary care practices will also be rewarded for providing 24-hour access to care and health information to help patients assist in managing their own care.

In central Texas, Scott & White Healthcare is moving to integrate care, improve patient outcomes and keep costs low. They are responsible for more than 60 clinics and 12 hospitals. In Houston, the Kelsey-Seybold clinic is also working on clinical integration and offers care across 55 specialties.

Outside Dallas, Village Health Partners is home to Legacy Medical Village. The traditional fee-for-service model is still in place there, but they are reinvesting profits to measure how different approaches to improve quality are working. Legacy Medical Village offers primary care doctors and 30 services and specialty practices.

The HHS initiative to demonstrate methods for achieving better patient outcomes was just launched September 28. The voluntary project spans five to seven markets around the country, and participants have until November 15 to submit a Letter of Intent. Under HHS initiative, Medicare will also support primary care doctors for improving how they coordinate patient care.

Participants will be supported in several areas, such as providing preventive health care, managing chronic or serious diseases, and coordinating care plans between primary care doctors and specialists. Additional support will help to enable patients and their families to participate in their own care plans and provide 24-hour access to care and health information.

This turnaround that emphasizes coordination of care and improved patient outcomes may be fueled by the necessity to reduce costs, but on a personal level, patients and their families will be the ultimate winners. Overall, systematic health care improvements can reach far beyond individual needs and lead to greater worker productivity and reduced financial burdens at various levels of government. eTXHealthinsurance monitors changes that can help Texans find better health care services and the means to reduce the price of maintaining or recovering good health.

# # #

About eTXHealthinsurance:

eTXHealthinsurance has become a leader in providing educational resources that enable Texas families, individuals and small businesses to keep their healthcare costs low. Online information explaining how to keep premiums and out-of-pocket costs down is available at http://www.eTXHealthinsurance.com/how-to-guide.htm and http://www.eTXHealthinsurance.com/health-savings-accounts....

Texas residents seeking health insurance options in the individual market may use eTXHealthinsurance online resources to compare plans and apply online. Individuals and small companies may also schedule consultations with professionals to compare coverage options by calling 1-866-585-7664 between 9 AM and 11 PM Eastern.

eTXHealthinsurance also provides tools to lower healthcare costs that are not covered by insurance at http://www.eTXHealthinsurance.com/additional-benefits.htm.