WellCare Expands Field-Based Care Management Program to Deliver Cost Efficient and Personalized Care for High-Risk Members
Program Connects Kentucky Mother to Needed Medical and Social Support Services
Program Connects Kentucky Mother to Needed Medical and Social Support Services
TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare Health Plans, Inc., (NYSE: WCG), a leading provider of managed care services for government-sponsored health care programs, announced today it is expanding its field-based care management program companywide to deliver cost-efficient and personalized care for its high-risk members.
Face-to-face engagement enables WellCare care managers to assess and address these members' gaps in care, develop collaborative care plans with providers to help manage members' chronic conditions, and assist them in accessing the appropriate level of care in the appropriate setting. In addition, care managers connect members to community-based agencies to fill social service needs that may be barriers to their ability to prioritize their health.
Field-based care management Medicaid programs in Florida, Georgia, Illinois and Kentucky saw proven savings through the use of this model.
WellCare is expanding this focus on medically-complex members into markets where its field-base care model doesn't currently exist and into its Medicare line of business, which will be done in phases throughout 2016. The company intends to hire an additional 145 clinical and non-clinical employees, including nurses, social workers and care coordinators, to support this effort, bringing the total workforce dedicated to this care model to approximately 275 companywide.
"Our field-based care model is designed to help us improve health outcomes for our complex, high-risk members," said Michael Radu, WellCare's senior vice president of clinical operations and business development. "It provides us with the opportunity to engage with members where they live to help them access the care and resources they need to manage their chronic conditions and live better, healthier lives."
Members who receive care management have had recurrent hospitalizations or emergency room visits, or have several chronic conditions they need help managing. Under the field-based care model, WellCare engages with members, providers and community organizations to create personalized, coordinated care plans to help improve and maintain the health of members with complex medical needs.
Brandi Logan is one of those members.
Logan, who lives in Clay City in Kentucky, is deaf and lacked a support system to help her properly care for her 3-year-old son Dylan, who was experiencing developmental delays. With the help of WellCare social worker Dewana Warrix, Logan was connected to needed medical care as well as social services to help her pay medical bills, access transportation to doctor appointments and manage daily tasks. Dylan was enrolled in school and received the physical, occupational and speech therapy he needed to thrive.
"I realized that Dylan was speaking, or learning to speak, like his mother," Warrix said. "She can't hear Dylan so she had no idea he was learning to speak like her."
"Without WellCare, I don't know what I would do," Logan said through a sign language interpreter, adding that she appreciates the care provided for her and Dylan.
"I'm just so thankful," Logan said. "Now Dylan can speak clearly. He's understandable. He can run without falling. He's a lot better now."
To learn more about how WellCare cares for its members, watch Logan's story at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.
About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. The Company serves approximately 3.8 million members nationwide as of Dec. 31, 2015. For more information about WellCare, please visit the Company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking" statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. For example, statements regarding the cost savings from the care management program and hiring of additional associates contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause WellCare's actual future results to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, WellCare's ability to estimate and manage medical benefits expense effectively, WellCare's ability to attract and retain qualified clinical and non-clinical personnel, WellCare's ability to effectively manage growth, WellCare's progress on top priorities such as improving health care quality and access, ensuring a competitive cost position, and delivering prudent, profitable growth, and WellCare's ability to comply with the terms of the Corporate Integrity Agreement. Given the risks and uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements, any of WellCare's forward-looking statements could be incorrect and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements.
Additional information concerning these and other important risks and uncertainties can be found in the company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), included under the captions "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and other filings by WellCare with the SEC, which contain discussions of WellCare's business and the various factors that may affect it. Subsequent events and developments may cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from WellCare's forward-looking statements. WellCare's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements are made. WellCare undertakes no duty, and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements to reflect any future events, developments or otherwise.
Video - http://youtu.be/YwOw5EgeSYo
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160217/334441
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150701/227667LOGO
SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
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