A First in Texas Medicaid, Cigna-HealthSpring Partners with Telcare to Bring Cellular-Enabled Monitoring and Engagement to Beneficiaries with Diabetes

DALLAS & FORT WORTH, Texas--()--In an effort to improve the quality of life for its beneficiaries with diabetes and reduce the growing costs associated with treating the condition, Cigna-HealthSpring has partnered with Telcare to further expand health care services for its Texas Medicaid STAR+PLUS membership. A leader in mobile diabetes management solutions, Telcare will deliver remote monitoring and engagement services for select diabetic beneficiaries enrolled with Cigna-HealthSpring under the Texas Medicaid STAR+PLUS Program.

According to the Texas Health Institute, diabetes affects one in three Texans and costs the state more than $12.5 billion a year. The number of adult Texans with diabetes is expected to quadruple over the next three decades to nearly 8 million.

Cigna-HealthSpring’s partnership with Telcare marks the first use of a cellular-enabled blood glucose meter in Texas Medicaid. Cigna-HealthSpring has incorporated Telcare’s award-winning blood glucose meter into its diabetes management program. This integration gives individuals with diabetes, family and friends who are caregivers, and supporting health care providers a more effective way to manage and control the chronic condition.

“We are honored to partner with Cigna-HealthSpring to improve the lives of Texans living with diabetes,” said Andrew Flanagan, CEO of Telcare, “Our connected technology, combined with the services of a managed care organization like Cigna-HealthSpring, enables the kind of personalized engagement and care coordination required for the successful management of chronic conditions.”

The Telcare BGM® connects to nationwide cell networks, automatically sending each glucose reading to a secure, cloud-based server that, in turn, gives patients feedback and coaching for their condition. Caregivers and providers have online access to the same results, allowing them to easily analyze the data and get alerts about potential patient complications. Thanks to the Telcare platform, patients are more engaged in their own care and providers can spend more time during patient appointments focusing on prevention and less time reviewing blood glucose levels.

“Our partnership with Telcare is an example of our commitment to providing the best care possible for our beneficiaries,” said Dr. Johnny Gore, senior medical director of STAR+PLUS at Cigna-HealthSpring. “Telcare’s connected technology engages individuals living with diabetes and links them in near real-time to caregivers who are now empowered with the relevant information needed to personalize treatment. We are excited to offer our beneficiaries this innovative and value-added service as part of our strategic focus on improving the lives of people living with chronic conditions.”

Cigna-HealthSpring and Telcare have launched their first joint program in Tarrant County, Texas with ongoing assessments in additional service areas.

About Cigna-HealthSpring

Cigna-HealthSpring, a Cigna company (NYSE:CI), is one of the country’s leading health plans focused on delivering care to the senior population, predominately through Medicare Advantage and other Medicare and Medicaid products. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Cigna-HealthSpring offers a national stand-alone prescription drug plan and operates health plans in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.cignahealthspring.com.

About Telcare

Telcare is a leading digital-health company whose pioneering work includes development of the first FDA-cleared cellular blood glucose meter. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Telcare is a privately-held company funded by Norwest Venture Partners, The Qualcomm Life Fund, Sequoia Capital, Mosaic Health Solutions and other founding investors. For more information, visit www.telcare.com.

All Cigna products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. The Cigna name, logos, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc.

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Contacts

Cigna-HealthSpring
Graham Harrison, 615-294-4669
graham.harrison@healthspring.com

Release Summary

Cigna-HealthSpring and Telcare partner to bring first-ever mobile diabetes monitoring and engagement services to Texas Medicaid customers.

Contacts

Cigna-HealthSpring
Graham Harrison, 615-294-4669
graham.harrison@healthspring.com