CareSource Management Group introduces 24-hour nurse triage service
DAYTON, Ohio, August 9, 2005 – CareSource Management Group (CSMG), a leading public-sector managed care services company based in Dayton, Ohio, is pleased to introduce its 24-hour nurse triage service. The service allows public-sector managed care plans to offer their members toll-free telephone access to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“We have perfected our nurse triage service over the past two years by offering it to members of our own Medicaid managed care plans in Ohio and Indiana, as well as a plan that we manage in Michigan,” said CSMG President and CEO Pamela B. Morris. “Our nurses under-stand the special needs of the public-sector managed care population and are experts at serving this market. We are now ready to offer this service to other public-sector managed care plans.”
Through CSMG’s 24-hour triage service, registered nurses can provide general health information and education, thus promoting preventive care and the relationship with the primary care physician. The nurses can also answer questions about coverage and benefits, helping members get the most out of their health care plan.
CSMG’s triage nurses are also experts at directing members to the most appropriate level of care, whether that is a doctor’s office, urgent treatment center or emergency room. The nurses assess a member’s immediate health condition using gold-standard industry guidelines and advise them about the best place for care. After speaking with a nurse, most members who call to ask if they should visit the emergency room decide to seek a lower level of care instead.
CareSource Management Group has seen an exceptional return on investment in using the 24-hour nurse triage service for CareSource, its Medicaid managed care plan in Ohio. In just one year, 60 percent of callers who asked if they should go to the emergency room were directed to a lower level of care. This saved CareSource more than $200 for each unnecessary emergency room visit -- more than $1.3 million -- without compromising the quality of care. During the same period, 98.9 percent of CareSource members said they were satisfied with the service.
Managed care plans interested in learning more about CareSource Management Group’s 24-hour nurse triage service may call 1-877-725-4575 or e-mail CSMG@care-source.com.
About CareSource Management Group
CareSource Management Group offers a full spectrum of services for the administration of public-sector health care programs. Among these services are general administration, including claims processing, case and medical management, provider relations, decision support informatics, quality improvement, and regulatory compliance; member services, including a member call center and 24-hour nurse hotline; and financial consultation and turnaround.
CareSource Management Group also provides services to nonprofit managed care plans that serve more than 363,000 Medicaid consumers in Ohio and more than 65,000 Hoosier Healthwise consumers in Indiana. The company also administers Community Choice Michigan, a nonprofit managed care plan serving more than 47,000 Medicaid consumers in Michigan. For more information about CareSource Management Group, visit www.csmg-online.com.
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