Contact:
Bill McKinley
Vice President of Sales
Milliman Care Guidelines
Tel +1 303 898.4007
bill.mckinley@milliman.com

Masspro QIO Uses Milliman Care Guidelines^® for Medicare Reviews in Massachusetts

SEATTLE -- Sept. 30, 2009 -- Masspro, one of the nation’s leading Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs), has signed a five-year licensing agreement with Milliman Care Guidelines LLC, A Milliman Company, to use the Care Guidelines for Medicare utilization and quality reviews in the state of Massachusetts.

Masspro will use all Care Guidelines products -- Ambulatory Care, Inpatient and Surgical Care, General Recovery Guidelines, Recovery Facility Care, Home Care, Chronic Care Guidelines and Behavioral Health Guidelines – through Web software to support appropriate quality of clinical care for Medicare beneficiaries.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contracts with QIOs in each state to conduct Medicare reviews and quality initiatives across a variety of healthcare settings. It does not mandate or endorse the use of any specific criteria set by QIOs.

The Care Guidelines promote quality care by providing healthcare professionals with access to best practice based on annually updated evidence. The Care Guidelines also display Quality Measures used by CMS, and each inpatient topic includes care planning information highlighting interventions that lead to improved outcomes. Designed for prospective, concurrent, and retrospective reviews, the Care Guidelines enable informed and consistent clinical care decisions, and support the best possible care management using the most current evidence-based medicine.

“The Care Guidelines incorporate Hospital Quality Alliance quality measures,” said Scott Harris, Milliman Care Guidelines Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Access to evidence-based clinical tools that improve quality of care enables QIOs to effectively manage their review processes and quality initiatives.”

About Masspro

For over 20 years, Masspro has been an independent, objective voice for improving patient care in Massachusetts, and it continues to serve as a facilitator, leader, and key participant in performance improvement.  Masspro’s projects are collaborative efforts with healthcare providers, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Massachusetts Office of Medicaid, employer groups, physician practices, health plans, specialty societies, advocacy groups, and beneficiaries. Masspro serves as the Federal subcontractor for the Quality Improvement Organization program within Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.masspro.org.

About Milliman Care Guidelines

Milliman Care Guidelines, LLC, A Milliman Company, is located in Seattle, and independently develops and produces evidence-based clinical guidelines and software used by more than 1,600 clients, including 900 hospitals, seven of the country’s eight largest health plans and 21 CMS audit contractors. Covering the continuum of care, the seven-product Care Guidelines series is updated annually by an experienced full-time team of clinicians and is used to support the care management of nearly two-thirds of US health plan members. For more information, visit www.careguidelines.com.

About Milliman

Milliman Care Guidelines is a wholly owned subsidiary of Milliman, Inc., which is among the world’s largest independent actuarial and consulting firms. Founded in Seattle in 1947 as Milliman & Robertson, the company now has 51 offices in key locations worldwide. Milliman employs more than 2,300 people, with a professional staff of more than 1,100 qualified consultants and actuaries, including specialists ranging from clinicians to economists. The firm has consulting practices in healthcare, employee benefits, property and casualty insurance, life insurance, and financial services. Milliman serves the full spectrum of business, financial, government, union, education, and nonprofit organizations. For further information, visit www.milliman.com.