Health Insurers to Make Major Investment in Primary Care, Patients and Physicians ...( ROCHESTER N.Y. March 16 /- MVP Health...),Health

ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- MVP Health Care/Preferred Care and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield will start working with primary care physicians who treat adults to improve the way patients receive care in the six-county Rochester area.

The health insurers are inviting up to 20 internal medicine and family physicians to participate in a three-year medical home initiative. The goal of the initiative is to enhance patient care, help maintain or reduce health care costs and to improve physicians' job satisfaction.

The initiative will cover the cost of hiring a care manager to work with the physician to make sure patients are properly managing their chronic conditions and don't have gaps in care. Physicians will be able to schedule fewer patient visits per day, having more time to spend with each patient they see.

"Primary care physicians have told us that they don't have enough time and resources to adequately coordinate care for all their patients," said Robert J. Holzhauer, M.D., vice president and chief medical officer, Excellus BCBS. "Our investment in primary care in Rochester should help physicians spend more time coordinating the right care for their patients, benefiting both patients and physicians."

"Preferred Care is pleased to participate in a community initiative to support primary care physicians and their patients," said Stephen H. Cohen, M.D., vice president of medical affairs for MVP Health Care/Preferred Care. "Improvements in the quality of care and patient and physician satisfaction will lead to better outcomes and help lower the spiraling costs of health care."

As a group, Rochester's primary care physicians who treat adults are aging and fewer medical residents are entering the field. Rochester -- along with the rest of the country -- faces a potential shortage of primary care physicians if action is not taken. The initiative hopes to increase
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