Company helps leading employers impact healthcare quality and cost with innovative health benefit
Company helps leading employers impact healthcare quality and cost with innovative health benefit
BOSTON – April 1, 2010 – Best Doctors U.S., a provider of employee health benefits that helps members get the right medical care, significantly expanded its membership base in 2009 and increased annual revenue by more than 84 percent. Best Doctors, Inc. now has more than 15 million members worldwide covered by its innovative healthcare services.
New employers added to the Best Doctors client roster represent major corporations across a wide spectrum of industries. New clients for the second half of 2009 include: Boeing, Kroger and Jacobs Engineering, among others. These client additions join Best Doctors’ premier customer base, which are some of the nation’s largest employers that self-fund their employee health care benefits.
Additionally, the Company is well positioned to maintain this growth into 2010 and beyond with a premier Fortune 500 client base and continued investments in clinical operations, sales and marketing.
During the second half of 2009, Best Doctors has seen significant increase in service utilization by members—resulting in a positive impact on employees’ well being. The company credits its proven member engagement program for the growing adoption, combined with a critical need for trusted resources that help individuals become better consumers of healthcare.
While the U.S. healthcare reform debate continues without an answer to the core issue of quality, Best Doctors’ clients are leading the way in improving healthcare quality and managing costs effectively. By providing expert medical advice for its members, Best Doctors serves as a trusted advocate for some of the toughest medical situations, such as: conflicting diagnoses; deciding whether to have surgery; and choosing a course of treatment. In addition, Best Doctors helps members navigate the complex and fragmented healthcare system including: finding the right expert sub-specialist for a given condition; preparing for a doctor visit; and directing members to other health services offered by their employer.
A Best Doctors analysis of clinical cases warranting review by its experts uncovered alarming rates of systemic medical error and misguided care including:
· Inappropriate or ineffective treatment had been recommended in 61 percent of cases
· Unnecessary surgery was being considered in 38 percent of surgical cases
· Insufficient work-ups reported in 31 percent of cases
· Misinterpretation of pathology or diagnostic tests occurred in 12 percent of cases
“While so many people were hit hard by the economy last year, Best Doctors flourished because we have a direct and immediate impact on healthcare spending,” said Evan Falchuk, president and chief operating officer of Best Doctors. “Employers increasingly understand that the best way to save money in health care is to help patients and their doctors make the right decisions.”
About Best Doctors
Best Doctors, Inc. is the trusted medical resource for ensuring that individuals have the right diagnosis and the right treatment, helping to dramatically improve the quality of care and reduce costs. Offered as a health benefit through employers, the company’s expert medical consultation service is currently available to more than 2.5 million members in the United States. Founded in 1989 by two Harvard Medical School professors, Best Doctors serves more than 260 insurers, employers and health plans, touching over 15 million people in 30 countries. For healthcare insights from Best Doctors, visit our blog at www.seefirstblog.com.