UnitedHealthcare will conduct three online/teleconference training programs this month to educate physicians and practice administrators about its Premium physician designation program that will expand into the Beaumont, Corpus Christi, El Paso, East Texas, Waco, and Victoria areas in December.
United will add these new Texas markets to the program to coincide with the nationwide rollout of UHPD version 4.0, the results of which will be mailed to network physicians in mid-October 2008. There will be a six-week feedback period, during which physicians may review their patient-specific individual results online and request reconsideration of their designation status, United says. The final results will be published in United's online provider directory toward the end of December.
A letter to physicians from United medical directors says the program, now in its third year, will "support practice improvement" by giving physicians "access to information on how their clinical practice compares with national and specialty-specific standards for quality, as well as local cost efficiency benchmarks." The program also will "help consumers make more informed and personally appropriate health care decisions," the letter says.
United says the training program will include an overview of the program and give detailed information about the program methodology.
The dates for the training program are:
Friday, Sept. 19, 7-8 am CDT
Dial-in at (877) 777-1968
https://uhc-enterprise.webex.com/uhc-enterprise/mywebex/default.php
Meeting Number: 823 321 178
Password: meeting
Tuesday, Sept. 23, noon-1 pm CDT
Dial-in at (877) 777-1968
https://uhc-enterprise.webex.com/uhc-enterprise/mywebex/default.php
Meeting Number: 827 552 941
Password: meeting
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 6-7 pm CDT
Dial-in at (877) 777-1968
https://uhc-enterprise.webex.com/uhc-enterprise/mywebex/default.php
Meeting Number: 822 160 734
Password: meeting
United asks physicians to RSVP by Sept. 17 by e-mailing Leslie Lowry or calling her at (713) 871-3080. Include the names of the people participating, the date participating, and your telephone number or e-mail address.
Action , Sept. 15, 2008