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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts Licenses Full McKesson InterQual(R) Product SuiteFebruary 05, 2008 |
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NEWTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc. (BCBSMA), has signed an agreement expanding its relationship with McKesson Corporation, the world’s leading healthcare services company and principal provider of evidence-based decision support solutions. BCBSMA, New England’s largest health plan, has licensed McKesson’s full InterQual® suite of products, which facilitates the progress of individuals through the healthcare continuum so they receive the right care at the right time in the right setting. “BCBSMA is committed to assisting physicians and hospitals in their mission to continuously improve the care for which Massachusetts is world renowned,” said John Fallon, BCBSMA’s chief physician executive. “Switching to InterQual’s evidence-based criteria enables BCBSMA to work more effectively with our providers and maximize our coordination of clinically appropriate care.” A McKesson customer for almost 20 years, BCBSMA has been using the InterQual Behavioral Health product suite for several years. Under terms of the new agreement, BCBSMA will expand use of the behavioral health criteria to its full population of 3 million members and add the following criteria products: InterQual Acute, Long-Term Acute Care, Subacute & SNF, Home Care, Outpatient Rehabilitation & Chiropractic, and Procedures, as well as Retrospective Monitoring criteria for invasive procedures. All InterQual clinical content will be accessible via McKesson’s interactive browser-based platform, CareEnhance® Review Manager Enterprise. BCBSMA plans to use the InterQual Criteria product suite to enhance the quality of care for its members through better care coordination between medical and behavioral health arenas. In addition, making information more accessible as well as easier to collect will help the plan achieve several workflow improvements, such as decreased document duplication, enhanced medical review efficiency and easier quality reporting. “A partnership of this magnitude speaks to the power of InterQual Criteria and the strong bonds we have formed with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts,” said A. Jacqueline Mitus, M.D., senior vice president of product strategy for McKesson Health Solutions. “More than 4,000 health plans, hospitals and other organizations rely on InterQual every day, confident in the knowledge that they are using the most comprehensive, current and flexible tools to support their clinical decision making.” About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.com) was founded 70 years ago by a group of community-minded business leaders. Today, headquartered in Boston, BCBSMA provides coverage to 3 million members. BCBSMA believes in rewarding doctors and hospitals for delivering safe and effective care, and in empowering patients to take more responsibility, become educated healthcare consumers and become stronger partners with their doctors. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. About McKesson Corporation McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 18th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. McKesson is the longest-operating company in healthcare today, marking 175 years of continuous operations in 2008. Over the course of its history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit www.mckesson.com.
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