January 20, 2006

Carle Foundation Hospital’s Medicare research program receives $5 million federal grant extension

Carle Foundation Hospital’s research program designed to improve health care to seniors will continue for another two years thanks to a $5 million federal grant extension. The Medicare Coordinated Care Demonstration (MCCD) studies the impact of a team approach to health care for patients with chronic health conditions. The extension will allow the program to continue to provide services to enrolled seniors and give researchers until April 2008 to analyze and review the project findings, information that could lead to major changes in the Medicare system.

“We want to make sure seniors in our community and our nation live healthy, active lives,” said James C. Leonard, MD, president and CEO of The Carle Foundation. “That’s why we’re proud to continue this demonstration.”

The MCCD program is in the final year of the original four year $7.5 million grant from the U. S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Participants in the program’s coordinated care group are assigned a nurse partner who works closely with the participants’ physicians. Participants may receive benefits including self-monitoring items such as blood pressure cuffs or scales, or homemaker and respite services. The demonstration studies whether these additional health services improve the seniors’ health, increase their quality of care, and lower Medicare costs.

“It’s still early, but we’re already seeing that participants in the coordinated care group have improved some of their health management skills, such as having a better control of their blood pressure and eating a healthier diet,” says Cheryl Schraeder, RN, PhD, FAAN, head of Carle Foundation Hospital’s Health Systems Research Center. “These participants have also received more appropriate laboratory testing and have rated a higher satisfaction in their care. We’re hoping the extra two years will show us if these health improvements result in fewer hospital visits and lower Medicare costs.”

Currently, 15 clinical sites across the country participate in the federal demonstration. The extension effort was successful in large part due to support from Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL).

“When we recently considered Medicare legislation, we started thinking about complex chronic conditions that face many elderly people,” said Sen. Durbin. “And we decided that the most important thing we could do was to coordinate that care to make sure patients not only get the best care, but that we save money in the process.”

Carle Foundation Hospital has been actively involved in researching the best ways to meet the healthcare needs of seniors since 1988. The MCCD program is Carle’s third consecutive care management demonstration funded by CMS.

“For years, Carle Foundation Hospital’s focus on research has been improving health care nationwide. This is a prime example,” said Cathy Emanuel, vice president of business development and strategy, The Carle Foundation.

The MCCD program currently coordinates care for about 1,150 participants, which is the highest enrollment among all of the program’s sites. Researchers are continuing to enroll eligible applicants. The coordinated care services are provided at no cost to the participants and allow them to retain their complete Medicare benefits and health insurance.

“The MCCD program is a great way for Medicare recipients in east central Illinois and western Indiana to receive extra services at no cost. It’s a win-win situation,” said Dr. Schraeder.

To be eligible for the MCCD program, participants must: maintain Medicare Part A & B; have been hospitalized or had three or more medical office visits during the past twelve months; have one or more of the following health conditions: atrial fibrillation, heart failure, coronary artery disease, diabetes, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), emphysema, or chronic asthma; live in one of the following counties in Illinois: Champaign, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Piatt, Iroquois, McLean, Moultrie, Vermilion, or in Indiana: Vermillion or Fountain; not be a member of a Medicare Risk Plan, not be a permanent resident in a nursing home; not be diagnosed with end stage kidney disease; and not be receiving hospice services.

Eligible participants who enroll are randomly assigned into either the coordinated care group or a usual care group. Participants in the coordinated care group receive extra benefits while those in the usual care group continue to receive care as they were before they entered the program.

To enroll into or find out more information about MCCD, call (217) 586-5913 or (888) 874-4477.