Summary: Increasingly, uninsured patients are seeking chronic care via the ER, where they are stabilized, possibly admitted and eventually discharged. However, this cycle is not conducive to managing chronic diseases, and, in the end, will result in high costs and poor quality of care for these individuals, says Dr. Ricardo Guggenheim, vice president of care management services at McKesson Health Solutions. Dr. Guggenheim discusses what areas stand to see improvements as a result of managed uncompensated care, why it is essential to invest in managing uninsured care costs and future plans for McKesson's Care Advisor program. Dr. Guggenheim, along with Robin Barca, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Baptist Health, described how, with a small up-front investment, Baptist was able to manage its health system costs more effectively and provide care for chronic diseases in more appropriate settings during the July 16, 2009 webinar, Reducing Uncompensated Care Costs for the Chronically Ill Through a Medical Home Approach: A Health System Case Study.
