Case Managers: The Unsung Heroes of a Complex Health System
It’s National Case Management Week. We at Mercer would like to take this opportunity to appreciate case managers and recognize their significant contributions to quality healthcare, to the benefit of patients, healthcare providers, health plans, and plan sponsors. Case management is a collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation, and – importantly – advocating for the options and services that will meet the comprehensive needs of the patient and family. Case managers help with communication and use their knowledge of all available resources to promote patient safety, quality of care, and cost-effective outcomes. In a nutshell, case managers help members navigate a complex healthcare system.
Employer plan sponsors rely on case managers in many of their benefit programs, including health plans, long term disability, and workers’ compensation. Case managers work in many settings: with the health plan vendor, healthcare providers or facilities, home health, or even with the employer. Are you using case management to your best advantage? Mercer has board-certified case managers and clinicians who can help you think through opportunities to optimize your case management services, as well as provide clinical assessments and high-cost claimant review. You might be interested to learn more about our own intensive case management program, Mercer Health Advantage.
Care coordination is key to achieving high quality, safe, effective, efficient, and timely healthcare services. This week – or any week – would be a good time to ask whether case management could play a greater role in your benefit programs.