`PPMSI Brings Web Technology and Automated Efficiency to West Coast Medical Groups,' says Health Management Technology Magazine, August 2002.

Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 8, 2002

Pacific Partners Management Services Inc. (PPMSI), a managed care service organization, was singled out in the August 2002 Health Management Technology magazine for its development of PPMSI Online--web-browser-based utilization management, financial and administrative decision support software for IPAs, medical groups and health plans.

The article details the positive impact PPMSI Online has had on PPMSI operations, reporting 20 percent improved administrative efficiencies versus 1998 for SCCIPA, the first PPMSI client.

"PPMSI Online protocols and authorization guidelines work together to automate more than 50 percent of authorization requests...This allows medical review staff to dedicate their time to requests that genuinely require their review," writes Health Management Technology. "Profiting from its own automation development, PPMSI today requires 34 percent fewer authorization staff, 43 percent fewer nurses and 25 percent fewer medical directors (per thousand commercial HMO members) than it did in 1998."

In addition to MSO savings, recent queries to physician office managers with PPMSI Online yielded much improved office administrative efficiencies. Family practice, internal medicine and specialist offices reported savings of 10 to 20 hours per week, with savings of $10-20,000 per year in employee costs per office.

According to Health Management Technology, "The developers realized that many physician practices, even in Silicon Valley, lacked the computer systems necessary to accommodate complex software installations--and sometimes lacked office staff sufficiently knowledgeable to manage them. (They) knew their solutions had to be viable for the most basic (physician) office computers, easy to learn and easier yet to use every day."

Here's a recap of the key findings included in the article:

PPMSI Online Results

MSO Utilization Management/Administrative Savings vs. 1998

-- Family Practice with 2,700 HMO members and 55 authorizations/week saves 10
hours/week and over $10,000/year in employee costs

-- Internal Medicine group with 2,300 members and 75 authorizations/week saves
up to 20 hours/week and $20-$25,000/year

-- Podiatry practice with 55 authorizations/week saves $12-$15,000/year
employee savings

Sample Physician Office Savings with PPMSI Online

-- Family Practice with 2,700 HMO members and 55 authorizations/week saves 10
hours/week and over $10,000/year in employee costs

-- Internal Medicine group with 2,300 members and 75 authorizations/week saves
up to 20 hours/week and $20-$25,000/year

-- Podiatry practice with 55 authorizations/week saves $12-$15,000/year
employee savings

About PPMSI Online

PPMSI Online web software is designed to expedite utilization management referrals and authorizations, and to provide secure online messaging, HMO patient eligibility, lab results, payment tracking, and electronic claims submissions. UM protocols, authorization guidelines and reviewer queuing can be customized for each physician group and health plan. Concurrent review can be managed from hospitals, care centers or corporate facilities.

PPMSI Online software is available on an ASP basis or for license to health plans, IPAs, MSOs, PHOs and other healthcare entities. It readily interfaces with many claims processing systems including IDX(R), OAO(R) MC400 and EZ-CAP(R) software. Physician offices require only an Internet connection and a personal computer capable of running Microsoft(R) Internet Explorer 5.x software with a Windows 95, 98, NT or 2000 operating system. Contact Randall Frakes, Executive Vice President, at [e-mail] or 650-358-5804 to arrange for a web demonstration of PPMSI Online.

About Pacific Partners Management Services, Inc.

Launched in 1998, the MSO currently manages over 2,000 physicians and 200,000 senior and commercial HMO members in four IPA (independent practice association) medical groups including Santa Clara County Individual Practice Association (SCCIPA), Affinity Medical Group, Premier Care Medical Group of Northern California, and Golden State Physicians Medical Group. The PPMSI health technology development team has fifteen years experience working together to streamline MSO software and workflow. Besides MSO services, PPMSI provides other services including practice management, physician office software and online purchasing. http://www.ppmsi.com