For Immediate Release

Contact:
Scott Harris
Milliman Care Guidelines
+1 206 381.8160
scott.harris@milliman.com

James M. Schibanoff, MD
Milliman Care Guidelines
858 558.8400
jim.schibanoff@milliman.com

James S. Loughman
Donley Communications
+1 212 751.6126

Milliman Care Guidelines Announces Addition of the General Recovery Guidelines to Product Suite

Entire Spectrum of Inpatient Care Now Covered by One Set of Evidence-Based Guidelines

SEATTLE, WA May 12, 2004 — After a year of intensive research and development, Milliman Care Guidelines unveils its General Recovery Guidelines (GRGs). The new product provides inpatient care coverage to include the entire spectrum of conditions and procedures for which hospital admission is indicated. The GRGs offer expanded coverage of the already successful Inpatient and Surgical Care; other Care Guidelines offered by the company, include: Ambulatory Care, Recovery Facility Care, and Home Care.

Response to market demand

Development of the GRGs is a direct answer to the changing healthcare environment where typical patient stays are becoming more complex and varied. In the past, when a Care Guideline did not apply, clinical decision makers had no reliable evidence-based guidelines to reference.

“Due to this lack of comprehensive clinical criteria in the market and explicit requests from industry leaders, we created this new set of best practice guidelines,” explains Scott Harris, Director of Marketing and Sales at Milliman Care Guidelines.

Editor-In-Chief at Milliman Care Guidelines, James Schibanoff, MD, adds, “The GRGs extend coverage of our Inpatient and Surgical Care content to such a vast range of complicated cases that releasing this extensively researched product eliminates the necessity to license alternative decision support information. Only one tool is required to coordinate patient care, and clients continue to have the benefits of guidelines that anticipate patient needs.”

The challenge to deliver high quality care while managing daily operations and resources efficiently is a real dilemma in today’s healthcare setting. Consistent, best practice knowledge facilitates the decision-making process and is critical to care management and patient safety.

Coverage for the entire spectrum of Inpatient Stays

The GRGs have a positive impact on quality of care by enhancing an organization’s flexibility and workflow by using one set of comprehensive clinical practice guidelines that enable more informed and consistent clinical care decisions. They are specifically designed for complex and difficult cases where existing guidelines do not apply, facilitating the coordination of care and increasing the effectiveness of every decision.

The new product provides evidence-based knowledge to aid healthcare professionals’ clinical judgment. Without the GRGs, case managers have decision support for the most common inpatient stays, but must develop their own criteria or rely on non-evidence-based information for the remainder. With the GRGs, the entire spectrum of inpatient stays is now covered by evidence-based knowledge and best practices. High-quality, efficient care management for hospital admissions is now available as a single tool.

Key Product Features

• Easy to reference with sections organized by body system
• Formatted similar to other Care Guidelines products
• Included: Indications for Admission, Alternatives to Admission, Discharge Criteria, Benchmark Length of Stay, Interventions
• Contains references and footnotes for further research and inquiries
• General Recovery Course presented in stages rather than days to facilitate concurrent review

Complete coverage expands client base

Prior to official release, advanced previews of the GRGs have generated a substantial amount of interest in the healthcare sector. Clients can now benefit from the gold standard of evidence-based knowledge with complete coverage and superior service.

“The amount of excitement generated by this preview is unparalleled in Milliman Care Guidelines’ history,” explains Scott Harris, Director of Marketing and Sales at Milliman Care Guidelines. Mr. Harris goes on to predict, “We expect a tremendous amount of demand in the second half of the year as a direct result of this product release. It will, without a doubt, reinforce our position as the leading provider of evidence-based guidelines.”

About Milliman Care Guidelines

Milliman Care Guidelines, located in Seattle, WA, is a division of Millimanand provides its Care Guidelines to many of the firm’s clients in the hospital and insurance industries. The Care Guidelines are evidence-based tools that guide care and improve care management across the continuum of care. They reflect current best practices for the actual working environment of today ’s healthcare organizations.

Milliman, whose corporate offices are in Seattle, serves the full spectrum of business, financial, government and union organizations. Founded in 1947 as Milliman & Robertson, the company has 32 offices in the United States as well as offices in Bermuda, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Sao Paulo, Seoul and Tokyo. Milliman employs approximately 1,800 people, including a professional staff of more than 800 qualified consultants and actuaries. The firm has consulting practices in employee benefits, healthcare, life insurance/financial services, and property & casualty insurance. It is a founding member of Milliman Global, an international organization of consulting firms serving insurance, employee benefits and healthcare clients worldwide. For further information, visit www.careguidelines.com.