Suggests Participation Results in Significant Cost Savings
Just a little over two years after MIIA and Mass Retirees first partnered to offer Ibis Health to its members, a preliminary analysis indicates participation in the groundbreaking chronic care management program is yielding significant cost savings.
The study, which included a small sample of MIIA’s highest-cost beneficiaries, showed a 26 percent reduction in monthly claims after joining Ibis Health for the period between January 2020 and December 2022.
The results suggest a potential annual net savings of $85,000 in claims for MIIA and more than $422,000 in overall health care costs for more than 500 beneficiaries with the highest risk scores, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
“This has always been the end goal for relationships with our insurance partners, to prove ultimately that we are doing two things: for the member, keeping them healthy at home and reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations; for the payer, that we are, simply put, saving them money,” said Brenton Stoddart, Director of Ibis Programs for Senscio Systems and a co-author of the study. “We want to thank MIIA for believing in a care model like Ibis Health and becoming our first major insurance partner that wanted to test the efficacy of a program like Ibis. Two years after that leap of faith, we are able to see the results that show Ibis Health is making the difference we thought it would when we first partnered up.”
Designed to empower retirees with two or more chronic conditions to take control of their well-being in between doctor visits, Ibis Health utilizes a remote care team and the patented AI-powered IbisHub platform that connects members to clinical specialists in real time. Self-reported data create insights for timely intervention and early detection, and advocates work to personalize the program to members’ needs and wants, helping to determine what matters most to each individual.
This ongoing coordinated support has allowed many Ibis Health members to improve their health and achieve their goals in ways that work for them, including Bill, a 68-year-old retired Massachusetts law enforcement officer who first heard about the program through the Mass Retirees. Bill appreciates the role Ibis Health has played in helping him to manage Type 2 diabetes. Over the past year, he has worked to lose 50 pounds and gain control over his blood sugars, allowing him to be able to come off his daily insulin medication. “It’s a good tool to make life a little simpler health wise,” said Bill, whose last name is being withheld for privacy. “They’re very non-judgmental and that’s important to people. They don’t judge but they encourage you.”
Like Bill, more than half of the participants in the analysis of MIIA Health Benefits Trust MEDEX claims had a diagnosis of diabetes. Other conditions included in the study were hypertension, congestive heart failure, COPD, anxiety and depression. The average age of study participants was 76.
As this preliminary study was small in scope with an initial sample size of 15, MIIA and Ibis Health plan to continue the analysis, expanding it to include more members and incorporating 2023 data. Further outreach will target the more than 3,000 retirees in the MIIA Health Benefits Trust who share a similar profile with the study participants.
