Successful Partnerships with Private Health Plans Utah Statewide Immunization Information System Sep

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Successful Partnerships with Private Health
PlansUtah Statewide Immunization Information
SystemSeptember 2005
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Agenda

• History
• How it works
• Benefits for USIIS
• Benefits for health plans (specifically IHC)
• Lessons learned
• Future of Partnerships
• Questions

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Background/History
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Initiative for registries formed about 10 years
ago

• Immunization rate falling
• Immunization hard to track

1993- registry effort formalized
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CDC obtained contract to develop registries

• Too few dollars spent
• Not enough expertise
• No support

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In Utah, resulted in failure

• Low quality product

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Had promised local health departments working
registry

• Did not deliver
• Credibility damaged

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Utah had LOWEST immunization rates in the nation

• Due to lack of 18- month booster administration
• Needed to track

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Utahs Governor Leavitt and First Lady advocated
for an increase in rates

• Every child by Two Task Force
• Local Immunization Coalitions
• Media Campaign

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Statewide immunization registry proposed

• Central repository for immunization data for kids
  through 18
• Helped mobilize players around a concrete effort
• Caused groups to systematize immunizations

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Governor called Immunization Summit in 1998

• Health Plans
• Pharmaceuticals
• Public Health Care Organizations (LHDS)

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Universal purchase of vaccines proposed by DOH
leadership

• Savings envisioned to fund registry
• Unpopular with pharmaceuticals and CDC
• Brought pharmaceuticals to Summit

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At Summit, financial support of registry
requested

• From health plans
• From pharmaceuticals
• Positive involvement from LHDs requested also

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Health Plans provided leadership in funding
commitment

• Intermountain Health Care (IHC) took lead with
  3-year development pledge
• Other Health Plans followed suit
• Altius
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• United Health Care
• Deseret Mutual
• PEHP

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Pharmaceuticals offered support (mostly in-kind)

• GlaxoSmithKline
• Aventis
• Wyeth
• Merck

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Other Support Followed

• Public support from state
• Federal Support
• Registry funding ended up a three-way split
  private/state/federal at the time. Currently
  two-way.

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How it works
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With Funding, USIIS able to separate from
Immunization program

• More Staff was hired and program developed. Focus
  on IT.

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All Partners joined USIIS Oversight Committee

• Meet quarterly
• Consists of funders, providers, UDOH staff
• USIIS staff provides reports, brings issues
• Helps shape program direction, makes policy
  decisions, provides insight

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IHC was partner catalyst and has become premier
USIIS partner

• Provides largest segment of private funding
• Provides largest segment of data
• Has special service-level agreement with USIIS
• USIIS is IHC immunization system
• Brings at least 52 private providers for
  enrollment in USIIS

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Benefits of health plan partnership for USIIS

• Solid source of program funding
• Ability to expand program to meet statewide needs
• Program improvements as needed
• Can carry over excess into next year
• Thoughtful input on program direction
• Impetus for program excellence, data accuracy
• Catalyst for provider enrollment
• Advocacy leverage with other programs
• Enhanced statewide image

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Benefits for Health Plans

• HEDIS reports
• Possible tracking of provider performance
• Increased immunization rates for covered
  providers
• Enhanced relationship with Governor and his wife
  before they left

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Benefits for Health Plans

• For IHC
• Use of a quality/reliable immunization tool
• Lower cost that other alternatives
• Accurate data
• Avoid duplicate immunizations
• Avoid missed opportunities
• Improved documentation
• Current forecast always available
• Improved reporting
• Time savings
• Friendly/responsive staff
• Good publicity

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Lesson Learned
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We have learned that

• Involvement/buy-in from top leadership is very
  important/essential
• Funding begets...other funding
• State general fund a solid base now
• Solid program attracts federal dollars
• Snowball effect
• Usefulness of registry increases with saturation
• Good use of immunization registry can demonstrate
  savings for providers
• Time and dollars
• Involvement of partners has enhanced USIIS image
• IHC demand for excellence improves quality of
  USIIS product

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Future of Partnerships
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• Mini-summit in 2002 yielded reaffirmation of
  funding commitments
• USIIS continues to refine product and create
  enhancements
• Oversight Committee solid and engaged
• Other health plans have expressed interest in
  partnership
• One new plan has come to the table
• Funding and interest have continued past Leavitt
  Administration

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Questions?