Aetna’s Compassionate Care Program Incorporates Holistic, Member-Centric Case Management


Aetna’s Compassionate Care Program Incorporates Holistic, Member-Centric Case Management

Aetna’s Compassionate Care Program Incorporates Holistic, Member-Centric Case Management

Dear Healthcare Executive,

When a loved one is dying, continued support and compassionate care from clinicians and case managers can be a “lifeline,” at least to one member whose spouse went through Aetna’s Compassionate Care program.

And that’s one of the main goals of the program, according to Dr. Joseph Agostini, senior medical director for Aetna Medicare, who spoke to the Healthcare Intelligence Network during its Advanced Illness Care Coordination: A Case Study on Aetna’s Compassionate Care Program, a 45-minute webinar on June 13, 2012: to provide additional support to members with advanced illness and their families/caregivers, and help them access optimal care, so they can get more of the kind of care they want, and spend less time in the ICU and hospital.

In case you missed this webinar, you still have a chance to watch this highly-rated program.

Register to view the conference today or order your training DVD or CD:
http://store.hin.com/product.asp?itemid=4407

Advanced Illness Care Coordination: A Case Study on Aetna's Compassionate Care Program

Aetna’s Compassionate Care Program is a nurse case management initiative that specifically targets patients with advanced illness, and it has had a major effect on healthcare utilization and quality outcomes, he said.

The need for such a program is crucial, Dr. Agostini said, given the increasing number of elderly people with advanced illness. Studies show that:

  • The rate and rise of older Americans is growing, and 10,000 baby boomers are aging into Medicare a day; and
  • The rate of Americans 85 years and older is growing; and
  • An estimated 30 percent of Medicare costs are incurred in the last year of life; and in the last month, 80 percent of costs are for hospitalizations; and
  • While most deaths occur in the hospital or nursing home, most Americans prefer to die at home.

While not a goal, Dr. Agostini stresses, the Aetna Compassionate Care program has increased hospice selection rate.

The program relies on nurse case managers to identify members for the program, and then to act as a support system for them and the community supporting them.

You can "attend" this program right in your office and enjoy significant savings — no travel time or hassle; no hotel expenses. It’s so convenient! Invite your staff members to watch the conference. We will send you a DVD or CD-ROM of the conference proceedings or a link to our web site with a username and password. You can log in and view the program right from your computer — any time of the day or night, whenever convenient for you and your colleagues — and benefit from the archived recording of the conference, including the Q&A period.

You'll get to listen to the question and answer session to hear the role of inpatient and outpatient palliative care in Aetna’s Compassionate Care Program, how to help patients transition their care from a bevy of specialists to a care team with a focus on overall palliative care/end-of-life goals of care, selecting nurse case managers for this type of work, the type of training provided to physicians for the program and how case managers engage physicians, PCPs and specialists.

To register for the on-demand re-broadcast of Advanced Illness Care Coordination: A Case Study on Aetna's Compassionate Care Program or order the training DVD or CD-ROM, please visit:
http://store.hin.com/product.asp?itemid=4407

I hope you find it useful.

Cordially,

Melanie Matthews
Executive Vice President
The Healthcare Intelligence Network