CMS to Provide Healthcare Review Contractors with Access to Milliman Care Guidelines®

SEATTLE, Nov. 11, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Milliman Care Guidelines will provide its evidence-based clinical guidelines to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) healthcare review contractors through a license with Buccaneer Computer Systems and Services, Inc.  

Acting on behalf of CMS, Buccaneer will administer the agreement to provide Milliman Care Guidelines® to Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs), Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) and Fiscal Intermediaries (FIs).  These contractors perform Medicare healthcare quality and utilization reviews.  QIOs work to improve the quality of beneficiary care, and MACs and FIs oversee inpatient hospital payment reviews.  

"Winning this contract to provide CMS contractors with access to our clinical content and software underscores our broad industry acceptance," said Jon Shreve, Chief Executive Officer of Milliman Care Guidelines.  "We believe the Care Guidelines are among the best tools available for those seeking to ensure efficient, effective healthcare delivery in our country.  We're proud that the Care Guidelines, with their strong evidence base, have been selected to support the care of so many Medicare beneficiaries."

Contractors will have access to Milliman Care Guidelines products spanning the continuum of care, including Ambulatory Care, Inpatient and Surgical Care, General Recovery Guidelines, Recovery Facility Care, Home Care, and Behavioral Health Guidelines.  They will access the guidelines using CareWebQI® interactive software, enabling reviewers to track variances and clearly document decisions during concurrent and retrospective reviews.

About the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

CMS is the federal agency administering Medicare, Medicaid, State Children's Health Insurance, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments and several other health-related programs.  For further information, visit www.cms.hhs.gov

About Buccaneer

Buccaneer Computer Systems & Service, Inc., is an information technology services firm providing complete computer systems and analytical solutions to both government and corporate clients since 2000.  Headquartered in Warrenton, Virginia, the company has branch offices in several states.  Buccaneer is certified as an 8(a) firm within the U.S. Small Business Administration's Business Development Program.  To learn more about Buccaneer, visit www.bcssi.com

About Milliman Care Guidelines

Milliman Care Guidelines LLC, A Milliman Company, is located in Seattle, and independently develops and produces evidence-based clinical guidelines and software used by more than 1,800 clients, including more than 1,000 hospitals, and seven of the eight largest US health plans.  Covering the continuum of care, the seven-product Care Guidelines series is updated annually by an experienced team of clinicians and is used to support the care management of a majority of Americans.  For more information, visit www.careguidelines.com

About Milliman

Milliman is among the world's largest independent actuarial and consulting firms.  Founded in Seattle in 1947 as Milliman & Robertson, the company currently has 54 offices in key locations worldwide.  Milliman employs over 2,400 people.  The firm has consulting practices in healthcare, employee benefits, property & casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services.  Milliman serves the full spectrum of business, financial, government, union, education and nonprofit organizations.  For further information, visit www.milliman.com

SOURCE Milliman Care Guidelines LLC