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CMS Contracts With McKesson to Support Medicare Initiatives for Ninth YearJuly 22, 2008 |
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NEWTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the ninth consecutive year, the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care will administer a contract with McKesson Corporation on behalf of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the use of InterQual® Criteria. The agreement means CMS-contracted Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) will continue to use InterQual products to review clinical appropriateness decisions for Medicare recipients. Enhanced solutions and services will help to broaden the use of the criteria across the QIOs. In 2007, 47 of the nation’s 53 Quality Improvement Organizations chose to utilize InterQual products through the CMS contract with McKesson. Based on preliminary QIO responses this year, McKesson projects that most of the nation’s QIOs will continue to use InterQual in 2008 to help them make consistent level-of-care decisions. The InterQual Criteria will be delivered to the QIOs through an enhanced version of InterQual Online, McKesson’s hosted Web-based application. Along with secure anytime, anywhere views of the criteria, users will now be able to interact with the InterQual Online application to see if criteria are being met. Results can be cut, pasted, printed, saved and sent to hospitals and other healthcare stakeholders. “Over 4,000 healthcare stakeholders, including government agencies, health plans and hospitals use InterQual Criteria. This vast market reach is due to the product’s unmatched clinical content combined with straight-forward usability,” said Tammie Phillips, vice president of InterQual for McKesson Health Solutions. “The real key to helping our clients maximize the value of InterQual is ensuring that the users are fully trained. To that end, we are excited to be enhancing our service offering this year by providing certified instructor training to the QIOs.” About the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), CMS is the federal agency responsible for administering Medicare, Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments and several other health-related programs. About the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care For more than 35 years, IFMC has been an innovative industry leader in improving the quality, service and cost of health care nationwide through care management, quality management and information management services. IFMC is headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, with offices in Illinois, Maryland, Oklahoma and Nevada and more than 1,000 employees and associates carrying out the company’s mission: “IFMC optimizes the quality of medical care and health through collaborative relationships, education, and health information management.” About McKesson Corporation McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 18th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and healthcare 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 its 175th anniversary this year. 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 http://www.mckesson.com.
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