There was a story in the Wall Street Journal last week-end about how “a growing number of health plans offer specially trained case managers to help patients during a major illness…”  The story goes on to say that these people “take our very fragmented health-care system and put some glue on it to ensure that a patient with a complex condition does not fall through the cracks.”

Umm…Harvard Pilgrim has been providing these kinds of services to our members for about THIRTY YEARS — and I know that many other carriers have been doing it for more than ten. In fact, if I wanted to, I could post a blog on this site almost every day about a letter or an email or a phone call I’ve gotten from one of our members about how one of our case managers has literally walked him or her through the worst year of his or her life, and never run out of material.

How about the last one I got — which showed up on Friday? “I am writing to commend a wonderful nurse case manager — Sue — who literally talked me through the worst year of my life. Sue began calling me in the course of three surgeries…Sue was informative, supportive, very patient and warm. She always seemed to know when I really needed someone to talk to about what was happening to me. She eventually became the only person with whom I could be absolutely frank and straightforward about issues that my surgeon did not really deal with — things like body image, management of bowel function, exercise, and dietary changes.

“I am healthier in both mind and body, thanks to Sue. She really took care of me! Now that our relationship has ended, I wanted to make certain that Harvard Pilgrim knew that the time she spent with me on the telephone was time well spent, and represented a very much appreciated benefit of my insurance. She is a valuable asset and a credit to her profession.”

Great stuff — and it’s the kind of thing I hear all the time from members who are dealing with a wide variety of illnesses and diseases, and getting real value out of their relationship with us. And while I appreciate the Wall Street Journal’s coverage, it’s a little disappointing to have a capability that many plans, including this one, have had in place for years portrayed as a “new idea.” Sometimes, we get the brick in the head we deserve, but in many cases, much of the good work that’s done by plans on behalf of their members gets lost in all the noise. This is one of those times.

Posted by Charlie Baker in Care Management, Harvard Pilgrim, Health Care Quality