Texas Health and Human Services Commission Extends McKesson Health Solutions Medicaid Disease Management Program
July 24, 2007

BROOMFIELD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and McKesson Health Solutions, a business unit of McKesson Corporation, today announced a one-year extension to the Medicaid disease management and nurse triage program for Texas Medicaid beneficiaries.

The program, which began Nov. 1, 2004, will be extended through the end of October, 2008. Known as the Texas Medicaid Enhanced Care Program, the disease management services cover approximately 44,200 Medicaid fee-for-service beneficiaries who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure, coronary artery disease, diabetes or asthma.

“For more than three years, we’ve worked closely with Texas providers to ensure the success of program participants. Our nurses and promotoras travel extensively throughout the state to provide care management services,” said Jennifer Gholson, M.D., McKesson’s local medical advisor in Texas.

The Texas Medicaid Enhanced Care Program includes community-based registered nurses and promotoras who function as community health workers ensuring that the enrollee’s services are delivered in a timely and culturally-sensitive manner. McKesson employs six promotoras and eleven community-based registered nurses who focus their outreach efforts on underserved areas throughout Texas.

Clinical Outcomes

The Texas Enhanced Care Program regularly measures the clinical outcomes of program participants with the goal being improvements in important measures that signal better control of a chronic illness.

  Initial Assessment   12-month reassessment  

Percent change

Asthma          
Has rescue inhaler 89%   95%   6%
Heart failure          
Annual flu vaccine 31%   54%   73%
COPD          
Annual flu vaccine 36%   54%   51%
CAD          
Daily ASA medication 67%   83%   25%
Diabetes          
Daily ASA or antiplatelet medication 40%   74%   86%

Beneficiary and Provider Satisfaction

A recent third-party survey found that 97 percent of participating Texas Medicaid beneficiaries expressed general satisfaction with the program.

Beneficiaries also said:

  • 98 percent report that the program has been helpful in the management of their condition;
  • 66 percent report that the program resulted in changes to the way in which they manage their condition; and
  • 87 percent report that the program has assisted them in talking to their doctor about symptoms and concerns related to their condition.

Providers associated with the program also related positive experiences with the program in a 2006 survey.

  • 56 percent agree that the program is useful to providers and their practice; and
  • 65 percent agree that the program is useful to enrolled beneficiaries.

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. Over the course of its 174-year history, San Francisco-based 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.McKesson.com.