PacifiCare DM pilot canceled

One health plan that has a better record than most in promoting disease management (DM) programs, PacifiCare, has just canceled a demonstration project in heart failure for Medicare FFS beneficiaries because it somehow failed to enroll enough people--even thought it will mean sending money back to the Federal government! PacifiCare says only 3,400 people had signed up for its HeartPartners heart-failure management program. It is unclear how this will impact UnitedHealth Group, which recently acquired PacifiCare. DM company QMed, which was handling the project for PacifiCare, says it expects to lose $3.5 million in revenues for 2006. QMed stock was down 20 percent on the news yesterday, but appears to be on the move back up today. 

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