Universal American Announces New Patient Ca...( CLEVELAND Dec. 4 /- Universal America...),Health

CLEVELAND, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal American announces the company's new collaborative patient care program for members enrolled in one of Universal American's Medicare Advantage plans that carry the Community CCRx(SM) Prescription Drug Plan. Through the collaboration of pharmacists and primary care doctors with the patient, the program focuses on creating a continuum of health care to improve overall patient safety.

Unique to conventional healthcare approaches, this new Universal American program utilizes the expertise and commitment of community pharmacists to build a more formal process of collaborative patient care with the patient's primary care physician. With the increased involvement of the pharmacist, the program aims to enhance patient safety by boosting medication adherence, streamlining medication reconciliation upon a patient's discharge from the hospital and improving health outcomes around chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

"On average, our members see their community pharmacists at least 12 times each year. That's more frequent than they see their physicians," says Richard Barasch, CEO of Universal American. "As a result, pharmacists are in a unique position to significantly enhance the overall health of their patients. This new program helps achieve that goal by providing them with the tools and infrastructure needed to do that."

This new Universal American program is yet another healthcare innovation designed to reinforce and ensure complete patient care and safety throughout a patient's treatment and recovery. It is a new approach that from an affordability standpoint, seeks to reduce healthcare costs and ultimately lower premiums. More important, it promotes and prioritizes the professional oversight necessary to safeguard and protect the health and well being of Universal American members when they need it most.

The Universal American pro
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