The impact of these programs is much greater than the dollars saved: people are better managing their conditions, getting healthier in the process and enjoying an improved quality of life.
Appleton, WI (PRWEB) November 07, 2017
Seeing health plans experiencing more cases of kidney disease, Cypress Benefit Administrators is proactively working with its employer-clients to address the issue and has implemented two programs which have already led to $4.9 million in dialysis savings and reduced hospital admissions since 2015.
The third party administrator (TPA) has partnered with Renalogic to offer the Dialysis Claim Management and add-on Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Management programs.
With CKD affecting 1 in 9 people in the U.S., these solutions have provided Cypress clients with a full risk analysis to determine if there are plan members who are susceptible to developing kidney disease or undiagnosed with existing issues.
Additionally, the Renalogic programs coordinate plan language on behalf of self-funded plans administered through Cypress and effectively manage the dialysis claim and re-pricing process. They are also focusing on elements of prevention and outreach that aim to educate employees on how to safeguard their kidney and overall health. These include personalized, targeted interventions by individual and disease management monitoring.
“Kidney disease has consistently been one of the costliest conditions in terms of health claim spending, but it is also one of the most predictable and preventable,” said Tom Doney, president and CEO of Cypress. “We’re finding first-hand that placing more emphasis on education early on can help reduce the progression and severity of kidney conditions.”
Since putting the Dialysis Claim and CKD Management programs in place and incorporating more educational tactics, Cypress clients have saved up to 85-90% on full billed charges for dialysis-related care versus the more standard provider discounts of 40-50%. Along with the $4.9 million saved on dialysis treatments since 2015, Cypress-administered health plans have also reduced their total medical spend on kidney care by more than $3 million in the last several years.
Of the Cypress employer groups that are enrolled in the programs and have cases of CKD within their plans, there have been no emergency room visits, unplanned inpatient admissions or urgent dialysis starts. On top of that, none of the participating plan members with CKD have progressed to dialysis since the programs were first implemented, including those in late stage 5.
“Education has played a big part in helping employers contain the costs related to kidney disease and dialysis care, but the impact of these programs is much greater than the dollar amounts saved,” Doney said. “People are doing a better job of managing their conditions, getting healthier in the process and enjoying an improved quality of life.”
About Cypress Benefit Administrators
A privately held company headquartered in Appleton, Wis., Cypress Benefit Administrators has been pioneering the way toward cost containment in self-funded health benefits since 2000. The third party administrator (TPA) is the country’s first to bring claims administration, consumer driven health plans and proven cost control measures together into one package for companies ranging from 50 employees to thousands of employees. It serves employer-clients across the U.S. with additional locations in Portland, Ore., Omaha, Neb. and Denver, Col. For more information on Cypress and its customized employee benefits, visit http://www.cypressbenefit.com.