Hospital, health insurer announce new project for chronically ill patients

Roper St. Francis Physician Partners and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina announced on Thursday they will establish a new project to better manage patients with a variety of chronic diseases.

Some 9,000 Roper St. Francis patients with diabetes, hypertension or a history of heart failure who are covered by BlueCross BlueShield or BlueChoice insurance will be automatically enrolled in this new "patient-center medical home." It costs them nothing to participate.

The physicians' practices will be paid extra "care coordination fees" by the insurance company to promote wellness among this group and the insurance company stands to save money by reducing episodic illness.

For example, as doctors, nurses and case managers teach a diabetic patient enrolled in the medical home to control his blood sugar more effectively, it's less likely the patient will return to the hospital for emergency care.