''Medicaid Lives Through Katrina Every Single Day'' (Former Associate Regional Administrator for CMS).

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- CNSI VP of Healthcare Bruce Greenstein Available to Comment on Need for Greater Efficiency and Integrated Technology Systems for 53 Million Medicaid Enrollees

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, thousands of evacuees who received Medicaid benefits struggle to reenroll in the program and to qualify for benefits in new states. While this has underscored the need for electronic patient records, the lack of efficiency and integrated data within the Medicaid system is something that impacts the quality of care for millions of Medicaid patients across the country every day--in good weather and bad.

According to CNSI VP of Healthcare Bruce Greenstein, "The state of disarray of medical records in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina only reinforces the need for improved Medicaid efficiency. Medicaid serves 53 million Americans and spends more than $300 billion a year, and the program literally lives through situations like Katrina every single day. Every day, huge portions of the Medicaid population visit doctors' offices and emergency rooms and because there are no medical records for many patients, they are treated like refugees from somewhere else, even in their home town."

The problem? Cutting costs is not a long-term solution if it does not address the underlying cause of the problem: 25% of enrollees spend 75% of the budget. The solution? State Medicaid programs need to focus on increasing efficiency through maximizing data they already have, reducing duplicative and unnecessary care, and increasing integrated and evidenced-based treatment. Sharing information among providers, focusing on care management, leveraging predictive modeling, creating portals to help payers and providers make better decisions--all of these things are key to creating a sustainable Medicaid program. Without focusing on how to improve Medicaid IT systems to boost efficiency, States are not solving the problem.

As States are attempting to modernize their Medicaid programs, many are designing major overhauls to their Medicaid IT systems. Greenstein encourages States to explore ways to increase efficiency and provide appropriate care through the application of health information technology.

About Bruce Greenstein

As CNSI's vice president of healthcare, Bruce Greenstein is actively engaged in helping states achieve increased efficiency through creating leading-edge IT infrastructure. A Medicaid visionary with frontline experience, before joining CNSI, Greenstein was the Associate Regional Administrator for the Division of Medicaid and Children's Health in the Boston Regional Office of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). He oversaw all aspects of Medicaid operations, including program administration and financial management, for the New England region overseeing $16 billion in health care spending.

If you would like to speak with Bruce Greenstein for comment on this issue please contact Chris Stamm or Heather Fishman, Schwartz Communications, at 781-684-0770 or e-mail [e-mail].