Superior HealthPlan to be First Texas Medicaid Plan to Reward Clinicians for Excellence in Diabetes Care

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- To improve care for Texans with diabetes, Superior HealthPlan is partnering with the non-profit Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute's (HCI³) Bridges to Excellence (BTE) program. BTE is the nation's most extensive effort to recognize and reward high-performing clinicians, improve patient health and reduce the cost of care. The program will address specific goals and standards for quality care for diabetes with about 1,160 clinicians treating more than 2,600 members with this chronic condition.

Superior HealthPlan provides health care for more than 900,000 Texans enrolled in Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare and the new Health Insurance Marketplace.

"Paramount to Superior is ensuring that our members receive the highest standard of care," said David Harmon, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Superior HealthPlan. "By participating in Bridges to Excellence, we hope to further encourage exemplary service from our network of doctors while also recognizing them for the excellent care they provide."

BTE is a clinician recognition program designed to measure the quality of care delivered with a focus on managing patients with chronic conditions. BTE has recognition programs for health care professionals who work with asthma, cardiac, chronic heart failure, cardiology, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, inflammatory bowel disease, depression, diabetes, hypertension and spine, as well as physician office and medical home management. Each program has three levels of recognition (I, II and III) with each indicating a different performance level.

"Improving the management of patients with chronic conditions and the reduction of complications is a national imperative," said Jessica DiLorenzo, HCI³ Program Implementation Leader. "We commend Superior's commitment to significantly improving the quality of health care and recognizing the efforts of clinicians who are delivering that high-quality care to patients in Texas."

According to the Texas Health Institute, diabetes affects one in three Texans and costs the state more than $12.5 billion a year. The number of adult Texans with diabetes is expected to quadruple over the next three decades to nearly 8 million.

Superior HealthPlan providers who have an open panel and who are BTE recognized for diabetes will be eligible for the incentive program paying a per-member, per year bonus that will range from $100-150, depending on the recognition level.

About Superior HealthPlan

Austin-based Superior HealthPlan (Superior) is a managed care company that employs more than 1,400 people across 10 Texas offices. Superior is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-line healthcare enterprise offering both core Medicaid and specialty services. Superior is licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance and is a Qualified Health Plan issuer in the Texas Health Insurance Marketplace. More information on Superior can be found at www.SuperiorHealthPlan.com.

About Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute, Inc.

Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute, Inc. (HCI³®) is a non-profit multi-stakeholder umbrella organization for Bridges to Excellence® and PROMETHEUS Payment®. The mission of the organization is to create significant improvements in the quality and affordability of health care by developing and implementing programs that recognize and reward clinicians, hospitals and other health care providers that deliver safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient-centered care. HCI³ offers a comprehensive package of solutions to employers, health plans and coalitions to improve the flawed incentives that currently permeate the U.S. health care system.

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SOURCE Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute, Inc.