Healthy Skepticism Library item: 711

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Konig , S .
Florida, Pfizer Team up to Improve Medicaid Patients' Use of Health Services
Health Care News 2005 Jan 1

Full text:

The State of Florida and Pfizer Inc. announced in November they have contacted nearly 150,000 Medicaid beneficiaries with serious medical conditions and worked to monitor and improve their health through the
Florida: A Healthy State program. When the program was launched in 2001, it was expected to reach just 50,000 Medicaid beneficiaries.

The program provides innovative patient education and nursing care to high-risk, targeted Medicaid patients through a statewide network of community hospitals, civic organizations, and patients’ advocate groups. It cut the growth in Florida’s medical costs by $41.9 million during a 27-month period ending in September 2003, according to Medical Scientists Inc., an independent organization that examined the results of the program. The firm’s report was released November 9.

In addition, the state government received about $19.2 million in Pfizer investments and medicines donated by the firm. In all, the program generated $2.18 of medical claims reductions for each dollar invested in the program, according to the Medical Scientists report.