Michigan Partnership Supports Healthcare Cost and Quality Solution

OKLAHOMA CITY, July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- MedEncentive learned last week that the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) and the Michigan Purchasers Health Alliance (MichPHA) are partnering to support its program for the purpose of promoting health literacy and healthy choices among employees to help control costs (MAFP and MichPHA joint press release dated July 21, 2010).  MedEncentive offers a unique incentive system to employers, insurers and government designed to contain costs by engaging both physicians and patients to cultivate better health and healthcare. MAFP is the largest specialty medical association in Michigan, representing approximately 3,000 family medicine physicians. MichPHA is a coalition of employers seeking better and more affordable healthcare.    

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Through a unique system of financial incentives, MedEncentive creates an atmosphere of mutual accountability for doctors and patients.  Physicians are rewarded for incorporating "best medical practices" and advancing patient education and empowerment.  Patients are rewarded for demonstrating knowledge of their medical conditions and engaging in self-management of their health.  Doctors and patients must demonstrate their performance to one another to earn the system's rewards.  This process of "checks and balances" creates both the motivation and means to improve health and healthcare.

"We believe MedEncentive provides an innovative solution at a time when our state is in desperate need of new ideas," said MAFP President Jennifer Aloff, M.D. "The program offers a cost containment strategy that does not interrupt the physician-patient relationship and in fact, shows promise to enhance it."  

While the economy still works to recover and state government and employers struggle with the high costs of healthcare, MedEncentive provides an opportunity for affordability without sacrificing care or quality.  Increasingly healthcare cost containment strategies rely on harmful benefit cuts to patients or cutting rates to their doctors which threatens their access to care.  As a result of MedEncentive's design, the patient wins and the physician wins all while decreasing costs for everyone.  

"After reviewing numerous quality improvement and cost containment initiatives, our organization is convinced of MedEncentive's viability," added MichPHA Executive Director Marilyn Bell, R.N. "A partnership between the medical and business communities to promote this innovative program is incredibly important."

"We are certainly gratified that these two outstanding organizations have come together in recognition of our program's ability to align the interest of healthcare consumers, providers and insurers," said Jeff Greene, CEO and founder of MedEncentive.  "MAFP and MichPHA are to be commended for being pioneers in this regard. We hope and expect that this is the first of many more similar partnerships to come."

About MedEncentive, LLC

MedEncentive, LLC is located in Oklahoma City. Founded in 2005, the company offers a web-based system of incentives designed to encourage healthy behavior and improve healthcare delivery, which leads to healthcare cost control. At its core, the MedEncentive Program financially rewards doctors and patients for holding each other accountable for best medical practices, health literacy and healthy behaviors by incorporating evidence-based treatment guidelines and information therapy.  For more information visit: www.medencentive.com.

About Michigan Academy of Family Physicians

Founded in 1948, the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) is dedicated to promoting excellence in health care and the betterment of the health of the public. There are more than 94,600 family physicians (or specialist in family medicine), family medicine residents and medical students nationwide that are part of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Of those, there are approximately 3,000 specialists in family medicine in Michigan.

About the Michigan Purchasers Health Alliance

The Michigan Purchasers Health Alliance (MichPHA) is a regional not-for-profit tax exempt membership organization dedicated to value-based purchasing (documented quality and competitive pricing) for its members. Through the collective action of private and public purchasers, MichPHA seeks to accelerate progress toward safe, efficient, high quality, transparent and consumer-centered health care in the region.  MichPHA has 18 members representing over 25,000 employees in Michigan. (www.michpha.org)

SOURCE MedEncentive, LLC