CIGNA HealthCare to Offer National "Virtual House Calls" Program Through RelayHealth.ATLANTA & BLOOMFIELD, Conn. -- CIGNA CIGNA CG (Connecticut General Life Insurance Company) INA (Insurance Company of North America) HealthCare and RelayHealth announced today that CIGNA HealthCare will expand its four-state pilot program nationally in 2008 to provide increased access to secure online messaging that enables "virtual house calls" with physicians. These services include reimbursable webVisit[R] consultations that use an online, structured interview format to communicate member symptoms to the physician, who can respond online, by phone, or if necessary, request an in-office visit. "Virtual house calls" benefit members by offering a more convenient and affordable way to contact physicians for non-urgent, routine health issues. CIGNA HealthCare is offering the expanded RelayHealth program to employers with self-insured health plans. In addition to webVisit consultations, a broad suite of physician efficiency services will be available, including prescription refills and renewals, lab test results delivery, and requests for appointment scheduling and referrals. "Patients are tiring of voicemail, telephone tag telephone tag n. A series of unsuccessful calls exchanged by two people who are attempting to contact each other by telephone. and long waits in the physician's office. They are finding that online communications can offer a convenient option to address their medical needs in less time at work, home or wherever they have access to a computer," said Andrew Siskind, M.D., F.A.C.P., of Irvine Internal Medical Group, a Board-Certified Internal Medicine & Geriatric Medicine physician and Associate Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). , Irvine. "We're very pleased with the demand for personal doctor-patient interactions doctor-patient interaction The doctor-patient interplay comprises the social aspects of a confidential relationship shared by physician and Pts. See Bedside manner. . Overall, the RelayHealth online connectivity service is having a positive impact, making our medical practice more efficient while augmenting our patients' healthcare experience." CIGNA HealthCare's expansion is designed to increase the number of participating employers, physicians and patients, and comes shortly after the American Medical Association American Medical Association (AMA), professional physicians' organization (founded 1847). Its goals are to protect the interests of American physicians, advance public health, and support the growth of medical science. (AMA (Automatic Message Accounting) The recording and reporting of telephone calls within a telephone system. It includes the calling and called parties and start and stop times of the call. ) established a permanent CPT-4 code to enable reimbursement Reimbursement Payment made to someone for out-of-pocket expenses has incurred. for online consultations. The national insurer has offered eligible members access to RelayHealth's secure online messaging since July 2006, using a limited number of physicians based in California, Arizona, Florida and the Tri-State/New York metropolitan area. "During the past 18 months, we've seen that RelayHealth's webVisit consultations can make patient access to their doctor easier, help improve the doctor's office workflow and improve employee productivity," said CIGNA HealthCare Chief Medical Officer Jeffrey Kang, M.D. "By expanding patient access on a national basis and by encouraging our 500,000 participating physicians to offer online communication services for our eligible members, CIGNA HealthCare members will have more choice and convenience in healthcare delivery." "CIGNA's continuing investment in RelayHealth validates the importance they place on helping members communicate with their healthcare providers," said Jim Bodenbender, senior vice president and general manager, RelayHealth. "Online messaging is convenient for members and helps physicians improve the quality and continuity of care through increased interactions with their patients." About CIGNA HealthCare CIGNA HealthCare, headquartered in Bloomfield, Conn., provides medical benefits plans, dental coverage, behavioral health Behavioral health was first used in the 1980's to name the combination of the fields mental health and substance abuse. As an example, an organization serving both mental health and substance abuse clients might refer to its practice as behavioral health or coverage, pharmacy benefits and products and services that integrate and analyze information to support consumerism consumerism Movement or policies aimed at regulating the products, services, methods, and standards of manufacturers, sellers, and advertisers in the interests of the buyer. and health advocacy The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. . "CIGNA HealthCare" is a registered service mark of CIGNA Intellectual Property, Inc., licensed for use by CIGNA Corporation (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :CI) and its operating subsidiaries An operating subsidiary is a business term frequently used within the United States railroad industry. In the case of a railroad, it refers to a company that is a subsidiary but operates with its own identity and rolling stock. , including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. Products and services are provided by such operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation. About RelayHealth RelayHealth, the connectivity business of McKesson Corporation, operates as a neutral partner in an open network environment, offering connectivity services and integration among all organizations, systems, and solutions. Its intelligent network is designed to streamline clinical, financial and administrative communication between patients, providers, payors, pharmacies and financial institutions. RelayHealth works to accelerate the delivery of high-quality care and improve financial performance through solutions such as online consultation of physicians by patients, electronic prescribing, point-of-service pharmacy claims resolution by payors, pre-visit patient financial clearance by providers, and post-visit provider bill settlement by payors and patients. RelayHealth securely processes more than 10 billion financial and clinical transactions annually. For more information, call (800) 778-6711, or visit our Web site at www.RelayHealth.com |
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