Medibank Private to push chronically ill to act on recovery

MEDIBANK Private has started to identify members who have chronic illness in a bid to have them better manage their conditions.

AUSTRALIA’S  largest health insurer has started to identify members who have chronic illness in a bid to have them better manage their conditions and ­reduce the long-term medical and financial impacts.

Medibank Private, which is being sold by the Abbott government, has engaged GPs at six Queensland clinics to nominate patients for a six-month chronic illness pilot program known as Carefirst. Under the program, 300 members with five conditions will be given a personalised self-management support plan, health coaching from a nurse and interactive tools to ensure their care is under control.

Medibank Private’s Andrew Wilson said the initial uptake was encouraging. “More than a million of our members have chronic conditions but we only know about probably a quarter of them,” said Dr Wilson, the executive general manager of provider networks and integrated care.

He said Carefirst would ­potentially complement its post-hospital chronic care programs, and Medibank Private would be “delighted” to partner with the public sector. “All the evidence would suggest you could certainly get a two to three times return on investment by this sort of program,’’ he said, noting the initial aim was to break even and see health benefits for members.