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Unique to conventional healthcare approaches, this new Universal Americanprogram utilizes the expertise and commitment of community pharmacists tobuild a more formal process of collaborative patient care with the patient'sprimary care physician. With the increased involvement of the pharmacist, theprogram aims to enhance patient safety by boosting medication adherence,streamlining medication reconciliation upon a patient's discharge from thehospital and improving health outcomes around chronic conditions such asdiabetes and hypertension.
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"On average, our members see their community pharmacists at least 12 timeseach year. That's more frequent than they see their physicians," says RichardBarasch, CEO of Universal American. "As a result, pharmacists are in a uniqueposition to significantly enhance the overall health of their patients. Thisnew program helps achieve that goal by providing them with the tools andinfrastructure needed to do that."
This new Universal American program is yet another healthcare innovationdesigned to reinforce and ensure complete patient care and safety throughout apatient's treatment and recovery. It is a new approach that from anaffordability standpoint, seeks to reduce healthcare costs and ultimatelylower premiums. More important, it promotes and prioritizes the professionaloversight necessary to safeguard and protect the health and well being ofUniversal American members when they need it most.
The Universal American program uses an informational database maintainedby Mirixa Corporation, a leading provider of clinical health informationtechnologies for pharmacy. The program will roll out in phases, and isexpected to launch to all members enrolled in Medicare Advantage programs withprescription drug coverage powered by CCRx the beginning of 2009.
About Universal American
Universal American offers a diverse range of healthcare products --including health insurance, managed care, and prescription drug benefits --through its subsidiaries. Its companies are collectively among the leadingproviders of Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug plans in theU.S., as over two million seniors rely on Universal American's products fortheir health or prescription drug coverage. For more information on UniversalAmerican, please visit our website at www.universalamerican.com.
SOURCE Universal American
