Senator addresses XLHealth practitioners who offer in-home assistance
to chronically ill seniors through first-of-its-kind HouseCalls Program
BALTIMORE (January 26, 2010) – With effective management of chronically ill seniors becoming a critical component to improving the nation’s healthcare system, U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) on Tuesday applauded the efforts of clinical practitioners working with XLHealth Corporation’s innovative HouseCalls program which provides in-home clinical practitioner visits to chronically ill Medicare patients.
Sen. Cardin delivered the keynote address Tuesday at XLHealth’s HouseCalls Summit, attended by 100 physicians and nurse practitioners from the six states in which Care Improvement Plus operates—Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, South Carolina and Texas. In his address, Sen. Cardin recognized the importance of solutions such as coordinated care programs and disease management efforts that lower health care costs and address the tremendous burden of treating the nation’s chronically ill seniors.
Baltimore-based XLHealth is owner and operator of Care Improvement Plus, one of the nation's largest Medicare Advantage chronic condition Special Needs Plans (SNP). Through its HouseCalls program, the SNP is the first in the nation to have contracted physicians and nurse practitioners make periodic home visits to Care Improvement Plus members. Practitioners conduct comprehensive clinical assessments to identify potential health risks, review medical needs, and assist with education and medication compliance.
“Addressing the tremendous burden of treating the nation’s chronically ill seniors is going to take innovation and new thinking,” said
Paul Serini , Executive Vice President of XLHealth. “XLHealth is committed to finding solutions to this growing challenge, and we appreciate the support of Senator Cardin in encouraging novel approaches within Medicare offering help to those who need it the most.”
In 2009, Care Improvement Plus HouseCalls practitioners completed over 36,000 house calls in more than 300 counties throughout the Care Improvement Plus service area, identifying more than 16,000 potential health risks requiring further follow up.
More than 90 million Americans live with at least one chronic illness, and caring for them now accounts for more than 75 percent of all healthcare spending. The goal of XLHealth and its HouseCalls program is to reduce those costs through smart, but compassionate, coordinated care.
“HouseCalls took an old concept, the doctor house call, and introduced an entirely new way to care for seniors with chronic diseases,” said Serini. “These patients often lack access to primary care and are increasingly frustrated by the lack of personal attention they receive. For them, HouseCalls can be literally life saving.”
The two-day summit provided additional care management training to the home-visit practitioners participating in the HouseCalls program and allowed XLHealth leaders to gather insights on further innovations to the services they provide to more than 60,000 special needs seniors under the program.
About XLHealth Corporation
XLHealth Corporation (http://www.xlhealth.com) is the owner and operator of Care Improvement Plus (http://www.careimprovementplus.com), a Medicare Advantage health plan committed to delivering quality health care benefits and serving the underserved. Focused on improving patient outcomes and reducing health care spending, Care Improvement Plus provides comprehensive Medicare coverage and a Part D prescription drug benefit, plus additional services such as dental and vision coverage, and care management support.
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