PHRs Can Help Keep Your Medicare/Medicaid Benes Healthy

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Managed Care Wire): Many of your competitors are partnering up with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for a pilot that would provide their benes with access to personal health records (PHRs). The Internet-based tools could prove to be extremely beneficial to help benes better manage their own health care.

The PHRs are provided by members' Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plans. Many experts agree that allowing patients access to PHRs could lead to safer, more effective health care, according to a statement made by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). And because your benes would have access to all of their own health information, they would have more of a stake in their personal health. Your competitors are already in line for this pilot, including HIP USA, Humana, Kaiser Permanente. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is also involved in the new venture.

The pilot will run for 18 months, and CMS will monitor it closely to assess the use of PHRs and their benefits to patients and providers. CMS will also focus on the pilot's features that beneficiaries prefer most and determine the best way to get widespread adoption of PHRs and ensure their ongoing use.