Carena Inc and Verisk Health Join Forces to Reduce Medical Costs and Improve Quality of Care

January 1, 2011 / 3 min read

WALTHAM, Mass., May 25, 2010 – Verisk Health, Inc. and Carena, Inc. announced today that they have signed an agreement to join forces to improve healthcare outcomes and reduce medical costs. Verisk Health is a global leader in identifying, analyzing, and predicting healthcare risk. Carena, Inc. provides consumers with 24/7 medical care and education through its network of board-certified physicians and advanced registered nurse practitioners.

“Carena and Verisk Health are a natural alliance. Both companies have the tools, experience, and track record of implementing innovative healthcare strategies that lower costs and improve quality of care,” said Mike Coyne, executive vice president of Verisk Health. “Our data analytics and predictive modeling capabilities combined with their innovative approach to delivering care is a win-win for both employers and their employees.”

Carena, Inc. and Verisk Health will explore opportunities to implement Verisk Health’s Sightlines Medical Intelligence suite of products. The data-driven solutions contain population and member-level analytics as well as clinical and financial prediction capabilities.

Sightlines Medical Intelligence:

analyzes population-level by cost, condition, demographics and quality and risk measures
identifies high-cost and high-risk members needing medical intervention
provides individual-level claims detail and a gaps-in-care overview
offers cost and member count overview per top chronic conditions

“Carena has developed an approach to delivering healthcare that matches the medical concern of the member with the method of care delivery that is most appropriate to the situation,” said Ralph C. Derrickson, president and chief executive officer of Carena, Inc. “Integrating Verisk Health tools will help to make our solution proactive as well as reactive. Its services will enable us to examine the data of our member populations, identify areas where risk and opportunities exist, and intervene earlier in the process.”

Carena providers treat members’ urgent, but not life-threatening, medical concerns virtually, by phone or webcam, or through house calls. Carena medical group providers are available to address members’ health needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week — a service commitment unavailable from any other healthcare company. With its proprietary CARE AssessmentSM, a registered nurse practitioner begins delivering care from initial contact with the consumer. The assessment determines how quickly the consumer or member should be seen, the level of care needed, and the options for the mode of care delivery. The process results in more care options for the consumer or member and greater cost-savings for clients.

About Verisk Health
Verisk Health, a subsidiary of Verisk Analytics, leverages healthcare data to help businesses and governments understand their medical and financial risk for the purpose of managing costs and clinical outcomes more effectively. Through the combination of leading predictive science, a comprehensive evidence-based clinical engine, and advanced technology, we have created one of the most extensive independent risk-assessment and decision-analytics platforms in the healthcare industry. Our primary focus is to identify actionable strategies for managing healthcare costs and quality at both the individual and population levels. We consistently research, evaluate, and invest in our business to ensure that we remain leaders in our industry and provide the most efficient and effective solution for our clients. For more information, please visit www.veriskhealth.com.

About Carena, Inc
Carena, Inc. engages consumers at a time of need with healthcare options and education to make the right care choices. The Seattle-based healthcare organization has reinvented the model for delivering medical care to help employers and plans reduce direct costs and improve health outcomes. By delivering medical care and education how and when it’s required, Carena meets the needs of both consumers and clients. For more information about Carena, visit the Web site at www.CarenaMD.com.

Release: Immediate

Contact:
Trish Tarantino (Verisk Health)
ttarantino@veriskhealth.com
781-693-3784