Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, McKesson Health Solutions Help Illinois Children, Medicaid Beneficiaries Manage Chronic Illnesses; More Than 168,000 Illinoisans to Participate in Provider-Directed Program

Altogether, more than 168,000 Illinoisans will be eligible to participate in Your Healthcare Plus. Beneficiaries receive help managing chronic illnesses such as asthma, coronary artery disease, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions that patients have.

Healthcare Professionals in the Community

"The goals of Your Healthcare Plus are to improve health status and reduce costs of care for beneficiaries with chronic diseases. By working closely with physicians, the program also promotes adherence to national, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines," said Sandeep Wadhwa, M.D., vice president, Care Management Services, McKesson Health Solutions.

McKesson health professionals will work closely with Illinois providers and clinics to ensure a positive relationship between the program and providers. This team includes a full-time, state-based local medical advisor, telephonic and community-based registered nurses, social workers, behavioral health specialists, lay community educators, hospital-based case workers, complex case managers and pharmacists. Contact with beneficiaries is made face-to-face in the participant's home or by telephone, as appropriate.

The program supports medical homes - a primary care provider for each beneficiary - for all Medicaid beneficiaries and children in the state healthcare programs. Your Healthcare Plus assists program participants in locating a medical home if they do not have one.

"McKesson's operational expertise and experience in other states lets us integrate and coordinate the program with on-the-ground staff and healthcare providers alike," said Mike Modiz, vice president, Operations and Strategic Projects, McKesson Health Solutions.

McKesson provides disease management services to state Medicaid beneficiaries in Colorado, Florida, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.

Technology Plays Major Role

Technology is being utilized in a unique way to assist both providers and program participants.

Provider technology includes:

-- Program educational materials available online

-- Provider reports

-- Patient profiles

Through a beneficiary Web portal participants can access:

-- McKesson's Online Symptom Advisor, an acute illness recommendation service

-- AskOurNurses questions and answers by e-mail

-- Educational materials about chronic illnesses

"This program integrates community-based healthcare staff with technology in ways that have never been done before for a Medicaid population. The program takes a holistic approach to each Medicaid member, giving HFS and McKesson Health Solutions an opportunity to utilize the program's best practices in order to improve the health and well-being for many of Illinois' most vulnerable citizens," said Emad Rizk, M.D., president, McKesson Health Solutions.

Savings for Illinois

While the disease management program provides services for thousands of Illinoisans, it will also realize significant savings for the state. McKesson offered the highest net savings of all bidders and the highest return on investment with $80 million in guaranteed savings.

"We are very confident in the services that McKesson will provide and the significant savings they have guaranteed the state as a leader in the nation for disease management," said Barry Maram, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. "The McKesson proposal far exceeded its competitors with savings and experience in the field of disease management for state Medicaid programs."

About McKesson Corporation

McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 16th 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. Over the course of its 173-year history, McKesson has grown to provide 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 us at www.HealthSolutions.McKesson.com or www.McKesson.com.