Control and Accountability Paradigm Shift Introduced by ActiveCare Network

BANNOCKBURN, Ill. - The announcement of the official launch of ActiveCare Network (ACN) signifies a paradigm shift in the way chronic biologics are managed. As the first nationally integrated service network for administering infusible and injectable drugs, ACN provides the control and accountability missing in today’s chronic healthcare marketplace. The results are reduced overall costs, broader patient access and real-time clinical and data protocols for tracking and reporting – all of which lead to enhanced transparency as well as improved persistency and adherence to chronic biologic therapy.

ACN’s business model represents a viable alternative to today’s healthcare system, which was created for managing oral medications, not the coming boom in infusions and injectable therapies. It is estimated that by 2010, chronic biologics will comprise half of all medical drug approvals and dramatically impact mainstream populations.

The current model of servicing patients with chronic conditions through biologics is cost-intensive, up to $400,000 per year per patient. This high cost comes from a combination of the drug and the actual costs of administering and monitoring the patient. Drug prices are marked up, service fees are often bundled, and those paying the bill receive no data regarding effectiveness of treatment, compliance or side effects. Furthermore, increasing shortages of infusing physicians and nurses are driving an increase in service fees to train patients and provide infusions and injections. Thus, the high costs encourage health plans to limit the use of chronic biologics.

From a patient perspective, many factors erode compliance and adherence. High fees translate into high deductibles and co-insurance payments. Many chronic biologics are not appropriate in the home setting and physicians and hospitals require patients to take time off work for services due to lack of availability on weekends and evenings. Limited education is provided to the patient on the importance of following through with the therapy. The net effect is a healthcare system that severely overpays for those who can afford chronic biologics, and leaves many without access to high quality treatment.

“The industry is changing. There is a surge of effective biologics targeted for mainstream populations and we saw a need in today’s marketplace for a new healthcare model that opened the door for greater management of the servicing of these therapies, while providing lower costs and improved access to high quality care,” said Judi A. Grupp, founder, president and CEO of ActiveCare Network. “Today, with a national network of infusion clinics, integrated with key market constituents in the medical industry, ActiveCare Network clients and their patients enjoy convenient, cost-effective, and high quality biologic services with unmatched oversight and control.”

ACN’s centrally managed National Clinic Network – the nation’s largest – introduces cost-control, reporting accountability, and utilization management to the chronic healthcare industry. It offers access to more than 1,400 sites staffed with trained infusion nurses. ACN provides services at a set fee and dovetails with a client’s current distributor to ensure clients have the ability to negotiate the best price for both the drug and the service.

A sophisticated scheduling, clinical management and billing tool seamlessly integrates health plans, physicians, and clinics for efficient operation and transparency. Through ACN’s system, patients are efficiently serviced on their time – including evenings and weekends – allowing increased productivity and less sick days. Behind the scenes, the system supports plan-driven clinical protocols for more consistent outcomes; simplifies billing; and captures data for actionable reporting, allowing plans to see where and how their patients are being cared for. By creating a means to monitor and ensure consistent clinical and plan protocols, ACN provides the ability for plans to develop more effective therapy programs and reduce the overall cost of healthcare.