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Part of Inc.'s annual list of the country's 500 fastest-growing companies,SWH had revenue growth of 31,000 percent from 2004 to 2007.
"This is a rewarding validation of our unique approach to caring for poorseniors," said John Baackes, president and CEO of SWH, whose plan currentlyserves 6,100 individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid inMassachusetts, New York and Connecticut. "We've helped the poorest and oldestindividuals to live independently while giving their caregivers peace ofmind."
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Based in Cambridge, MA, SWH combines all of the benefits of Medicare andMedicaid and Medicaid Part D into one comprehensive health services package.SWH focuses on holding down costs and improving the quality of care receivedby dual-eligibles by consolidating Medicare, Medicaid and Medicaid Part D intoone plan that pays all claims, handles all customer service issues andcontracts with all providers.
"Seniors shouldn't be forced out of their homes because America's healthcare system is broken," said Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. "Senior WholeHealth's commitment to providing home care makes sense for the consumer andthe community."
"The demographic shift of the 'Boomers' using Medicare and Medicaid willmost likely position Senior Whole Health for continued growth in theforeseeable future," added Massachusetts Housing and Economic DevelopmentSecretary Daniel O'Connell. "Senior Whole Health's business model will help toseek out and deliver vital resources to a hard-to-reach population living inMassachusetts and across the nation."
SWH, which employs 180 staff at its offices in MA, CT and NY, offersmembers many benefits to make life at home even more comfortable. Thisincludes around-the-clock access to their healthcare team, no co-pays ordeductibles, prescription coverage, specialized geriatric support services, noclaim forms, non-medical services such as transportation, staff fluent inseveral languages, and non-traditional programs such as Tai Chifall-prevention.
More than 40 percent of SWH members do not speak English, and 20 percentare illiterate. Most have one or more chronic diseases. The average number ofprescriptions is five.
"As the original sponsor of the law that led to the creation of so-calledSCO programs, such as Senior Whole Health, I am delighted with the successthat this program has achieved," said Senator Richard T. Moore, Chair of theHealth Care Financing Committee. "Senior Whole Health helps frail elders stayin their homes by providing the medical and social supports that are critical.They save the taxpayers money and improve the quality of life for the citizensthey serve -- the 'gold standard' for any publicly supported program."
According to a 2007 study by JEN Associates, Inc., a national healthcareresearch firm, SWH's members are 40 percent less likely to be admitted to anursing home for long-term care.
About Senior Whole Health
Since 2004, Senior Whole Health (SWH) has been driven by a singularmission -- to provide low-income seniors with a health care plan that's simpleto join, provides the security of an around-the-clock health care team andallows them to remain living independently in the comfort of their own home.Simple, secure and independent, SWH currently serves 5,000 individualseligible for both Medicare and Medicaid living in New York, Connecticut andMassachusetts. For more information about the voluntary plan, call(518) 472-5200, or go to www.seniorwholehealth.com.
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