Oklahoma House Passes Mandate-Free Bill For Low-Cost Health Insurance
Oklahoma Program Pairs Nurses With Medicare Beneficiaries To Reduce Costs, Ensure Compliance With Treatment Regimens
Sep 06, 2005
Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report
About 20,000 Oklahomans with diabetes or congestive heart failure have been notified of their eligibility in a Medicare pilot program that will assign a nurse to beneficiaries to ensure they adhere to treatment and prevention regimens, the Daily Oklahoman reports. Under the three-year pilot program, nurses will monitor beneficiaries to make sure they are taking their medication, as well as exercising and eating nutritious food. CMS has contracted with LifeMasters Supported SelfCare to provide the services of the plan at no cost to beneficiaries. Beneficiaries also will retain existing Medicare benefits if they enroll in the program. James Farris, regional administrator for CMS, said eligible beneficiaries are not obligated to enroll, but added that the program will "save everybody some money" and reduce visits to hospital emergency departments (McNutt, Daily Oklahoman, 9/1).
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