Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Tennessee is expanding a pilot medical care improvement program that cut the cost of treating 440 patients by $1.2 million in just a few months.
Tennessee Blue, Chattanooga, Tenn., says it sharply reduced hospital re-admission rates for the patients, who appeared to be at high risk of developing deep-vein thrombosis, simply by educating them about deep-vein thrombosis risk factors and following their progress.
Deep-vein thrombosis is a condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the large veins. The clots can severely damage the lungs and other organs.
Some studies have suggested that deep-vein thrombosis and related conditions may be the immediate cause of as many as 5% of all deaths, Tennessee Blue says.