Local Medicaid Health Plan to Add Online Chronic Disease Self-Management Classes for Enrolled Health Plan Members

Collaboration Will Give Vulnerable Seniors Access to Life-Changing Health Education

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Health Trust Foundation and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) are partnering to bring Better Choices, Better Health® to all participants of the Santa Clara Family Health Plan as part of its attempt to improve health outcomes for people with various chronic health conditions. The online service offering will complement the small group workshops it has offered to its members for the past three years.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100615/NCOALOGO)

Better Choices, Better Health® (BCBH), the online and small group Chronic Disease Self-Management Program developed by Stanford University, is a six-week workshop designed to help individuals with chronic conditions—such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease—better manage their health. Classes consist of about 25 people and are moderated by a pair of trained facilitators, at least one of whom also has a chronic condition.

Participants learn how to reduce pain, fatigue, and stress; improve their nutrition and physical activity; deal with difficult emotions; plan for the future; locate and use community resources; and build communication skills with their health care professionals.

The first set of online classes is scheduled to start in Northern California in February. The Health Trust provided NCOA with a grant for this program.

Dr. Thad Padua, Chief Medical Officer for the Health Plan says "we are increasingly interested in finding services to offer our members that are struggling to maintain their health while dealing with often complex medical issues. Being able to offer an evidence based online program just may be what some of our members are looking for to help them better help themselves."

Published research on BCBH shows that online workshops can be as effective for participants as in-person workshops held in the community (Medical Care, 2006).

"This is the first Medicaid health plan in the country that is paying for online BCBH courses," said Jay Greenberg, senior vice president at NCOA. "We hope this paves the way for other groups to step forward and allow vulnerable older adults to better manage their own health issues."

"This new online venue will make the course possible for caregivers and older adults who may struggle with transportation issues, or just prefer to take the course online," said Paul Hepfer, vice president of programs for The Health Trust. "We're hoping to make this available to as many local health plans as possible, which will also in turn help us offer it to adults who may be uninsured or underinsured."

For more information on Better Choices, Better Health®, visit www.RestartLiving.org and for information on specific classes in Northern California, click www.healthtrust.org/bcbh.

About NCOA  
The National Council on Aging is a nonprofit service and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC. NCOA is a national voice for millions of older adults—especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged—and the community organizations that serve them. It brings together nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government to develop creative solutions that improve the lives of all older adults. NCOA works with thousands of organizations across the country to help seniors find jobs and benefits, improve their health, live independently, and remain active in their communities. For more information, please visit: www.ncoa.org |www.facebook.com/NCOAging | www.twitter.com/NCOAging

SOURCE National Council on Aging