USFHP Programs That Are Heading Off Expensive Chronic Care

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US Family Health Plan features more than 40 disease management programs and a variety of complex care management programs.

Chronic disease comes at a high cost. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 86 percent of all healthcare spending in 2010 was due to one or more chronic medical conditions. For example, $314 billion is spent every year in the U.S. to combat heart disease and stroke. However, early detection and ongoing management of such cardiovascular conditions can make a real difference for a patient’s quality of life while helping save money. Similarly, according to the National Institutes of Health, being overweight significantly increases the risk of serious illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, gallstones and certain cancers.

To improve overall health, US Family Health Plan features more than 40 disease management programs and a variety of complex care management programs. USFHP was also one of the first plans to implement a patient-centered medical home concept, with benefits like 24-hour nurse helplines and in-home patient monitoring. The results? USFHP beneficiaries are experiencing improved health and wellness and require fewer emergency room visits or hospitalizations.

USFHP health plans have developed and adopted a number of health education and care management programs in an effort to help prevent the development of costly chronic diseases. For instance, Heart to Heart—a 4-day class that raises awareness and educates patients about heart disease, stroke and its related health conditions—teaches patients how to manage their risk factors through assessment tools. The weight management program MOVE!—originally designed by the Department of Veterans Affairs—is uniquely tailored to each participant and emphasizes behavioral and lifestyle changes like regular exercise and healthy eating to help patients manage their weight.

We’re proud to offer America’s military families industry leading programs to prevent expensive chronic care. Click here to learn more about the many wellness programs available to our beneficiaries.

Quality Healthcare Driven by Innovation

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We are continually inspired by our beneficiaries and the innovation of the branches they served.

Mike

Mike represents why US Family Health Plan is proud and committed to delivering comprehensive, innovative healthcare to retirees and their families.

Take Mike, a retiree and longtime USFHP member. He has been with USFHP for more than seven years after a career of service in the U.S. Air Force. Mike and his wife live on a pension and, with rising healthcare costs affecting families across the country, deserve the benefit of the latest medical infrastructure and technology to ensure quality and keep costs down.

Mike represents why US Family Health Plan is proud and committed to delivering comprehensive, innovative healthcare to retirees and their families. We are leaders in preventive health techniques that reduce the risk of common health issues and the development of new technologies that improve patient outcomes in a number of ways.

 

  • US Family Health Plan was the first TRICARE provider to emphasize virtual care support through a 24-hour telephone health hotline, giving patients around-the-clock access to nurses and primary care doctors who can offer general health information, self-care instructions, assistance scheduling next-day clinic appointments and advice on whether to use emergency services immediately.
  • Population wellness programs—including flu outreach reminders, weight management programs, smoking cessation programs, health literacy training, osteoporosis screenings, substance abuse treatment, stress management programs and other preventative care services—helping keep members healthy and out of the hospital while also allowing them to invest in their own care.
  • Disease management programs help prevent and manage diseases for treatment while reducing hospital readmissions for care of chronic conditions. Examples include cholesterol management for patients with cardiovascular conditions and blood pressure control and heart monitoring systems for diabetes patients. While emergency room visits are up across the country, USHFP members make fewer visits to the ER than other TRICARE Prime beneficiaries, a testament to the disease management programs, telemedicine and other initiatives used to streamline care.
  • Electronic health records allow care providers to monitor patient vitals electronically. We’re continuing to expand our ability to share patient data and make advances in telemedicine to allow care providers to keep tabs on high risk members and trigger alerts in emergencies—thus making the process of health data sharing across care providers more efficient.

At US Family Health Plan, we will continue to honor the dedication and service to our country that Mike and many of our members have shown by serving as a model for military healthcare providers, staying on top of trends and providing only the best benefits possible. Easy access to high-quality, affordable healthcare ensures members and their families can rest easy, and we look forward to providing Mike, his family and all in the US Family Health Plan fold with continued quality care and a strong physician-patient relationship, driven by innovation.

DOD warns of Tricare mail scam

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The Defense Health Agency is warning Tricare beneficiaries of an elaborate mail scam designed to steal money from their banks.

According to the DHA Office of Program Integrity, some Tricare beneficiaries have received letters from a bogus company called Tricare Survey Inc., offering them the chance to work as “secret shoppers.”

The mailings instruct recipients to cash enclosed checks for $3,775 at their banks, keep a percentage of the money for themselves and use the rest to buy six $500 shopping cards to be used at retailers for “secret shopping” excursions.

But when recipients report the card numbers to the company, as instructed in the letters, the fraudsters use the numbers to transfer the amount to their own accounts.

In the alert, issued by the Defense Department on Sunday, August 30, Tricare officials advised beneficiaries not to participate in the scheme, saying they may be held accountable by their banks for the money.

Tricare will identify the checks as counterfeit and return them to the bank in which they were drawn from as non-cashable. Potential exists for the beneficiary to be personally liable for the entire $3775.00, the notification stated.

Companies and individuals target military personnel and families with scams with such frequency that in 2012, federal and state law enforcement agencies created a database of offenders, called the Repeat Offenders Against Military database.

Defense health Agency officials urge anyone who received a secret shopper letter to submit a report to the DHA Program Integrity Office. They can do so online on the office’s web page by clicking the “Report Health Care Fraud” button.