Healthfirst Expands Relationship With MedAssurant

New York Health Plan Expands Existing Relationship to Medicaid and Adds Care Coordination and Enhancement Services

BOWIE, Md., March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MedAssurant, Inc., a leading provider of data-driven healthcare solutions, and Healthfirst, Inc., a leading provider of managed care services for Medicare and Medicaid healthcare programs in New Jersey and New York, today announced their expanded relationship through the implementation of MedAssurant's integrated suite of comprehensive data analytics solutions to improve clinical outcomes and financial performance in both their Medicare and Medicaid populations.

With an increasing focus on clinical and quality outcomes, disease and comorbidity insight, and cost of care improvements, MedAssurant's integrated solution suite leverages healthcare data, associated analytics, and a sophisticated combination of technical and operational infrastructure to empower highly focused patient and provider encounter facilitation and support. High-value gaps in assessment, documentation, and care are identified and closed in a coordinated fashion. The result is greater quality outcomes, more detailed insight into members' diseases and comorbidities, and improvements in utilization costs.

"Healthfirst is committed to achieving superior clinical and quality outcomes for our members while also respecting the need and importance of efficiencies and overall financial performance," said Dan McCarthy, chief operating officer of Healthfirst. "We see MedAssurant's integrated data analytics solutions as an important piece of our strategy to deliver meaningful improvement across both our Medicare and Medicaid membership. MedAssurant has proven to be an important partner in Healthfirst's mission, and we are very pleased to be expanding our relationship into our Medicaid population and further expanding our Medicare work together."  

"We very much appreciate Healthfirst's commitment to both their providers and members," stated Keith Dunleavy, M.D., president and chief executive officer of MedAssurant. "There is little doubt that the increasing pressure within the industry to achieve concurrent improvements in clinical and quality outcomes, as well as utilization and financial performance, is a heavy one. After working with Healthfirst for several years, we are impressed by their dedication to meaningfully achieving these goals."

The MedAssurant and Healthfirst relationship dates back to 2009 when MedAssurant began coordinating clinical data accuracy and claims analytics solutions for Healthfirst's Medicare lines of business. With this expansion of relationship, MedAssurant will now implement these same services across its Medicaid line of business, as well as implementing its Prospective Advantage™ Care Coordination & Enhancement services throughout its Medicare business.

About Healthfirst

Established in 1993, Healthfirst is a not-for-profit company currently sponsored by 19 of the most prestigious and nationally recognized hospitals and medical centers in New York City and Long Island. Healthfirst has a network of over 20,000 participating physicians and specialists located in the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island and Westchester (Medicare only). Healthfirst service areas include the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island, Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties. For more information about Healthfirst, please visit the company's website at www.healthfirstny.org.

About MedAssurant, Inc.

MedAssurant, Inc., is a leading technology-enabled healthcare solutions provider focused on the importance of healthcare data and its ability to drive dramatic, objective improvement in clinical and quality outcomes, care management and financial performance throughout the healthcare community. Proprietary healthcare datasets, aggregation and analysis capabilities, combined with a national infrastructure of leading-edge technology, clinical prowess and deep human resources, empower MedAssurant's advanced generation of healthcare assessment and improvement through highly informed solutions. Driven by a mission to improve today's healthcare landscape, the employees of MedAssurant proudly apply care, ingenuity and dedication to delivering a new approach to healthcare touching more than 100 million Americans – one driven by data and insight – one resulting in meaningful action. Please visit www.medassurant.com for more information.

Contacts:
Russo Partners LLC on behalf of MedAssurant, Inc.
Lena Evans
Phone: 212-845-4262
[email protected]

MedAssurant Inc.
Alex Burgess
Phone: 301-809-4000
[email protected]

SOURCE MedAssurant, Inc.