What makes the program especially notable is that this is the first time a state has worked with insurance companies so that they financially support primary care practices that dramatically change the way they care for their patients.

"This is truly unprecedented in the history of chronic care management," Governor Rendell said. "The goal of this historic collaboration is to radically change how primary care is delivered, how that care is paid for to promote quality, and to move people towards taking an active roll in their own health."

The Governor said six insurance companies deserve credit for sharing in the administration's vision and commitment to making this program a reality, including Independence Blue Cross, Aetna, Keystone Mercy Health Plan, AmeriChoice, CIGNA, and Health Partners.

In a speech before the Pennsylvania Homecare Association in Harrisburg today, Governor Rendell highlighted the importance of moving forward with a program to reduce the human and financial cost of avoidable hospitalizations and emergency room visits. Ed Wagner, MD, the nationally renowned creator of the model being used in the Pennsylvania initiative, was a faculty member for the first education session.

"Despite the huge amount of money we are spending on heath care, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that participants received only about 56 percent of the recommended medical care for their acute and chronic conditions," said Governor Rendell. "And 80 cents of every dollar we spend on health care goes toward caring for the 20 percent of the population that has a chronic disease. In Pennsylvania, in 2007, this amounted to nearly $4 billion in avoidable hospitalization charges
attributable to just four different chronic diseases: asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and lung disease.

"That is why I signed an executive order last year to establish the Chronic Care Commission, to study evidence-based, best-practice models for better managing chronic diseases and make recommendations for how we could make a difference in Pennsylvania."

Governor Rendell said the first Pennsylvania chronic care education session was held earlier this week at Temple University Health System. More than 160 health care professionals from 30 primary care practices attended the two-day session. These physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and office staff represent more than 220,000 patients, making this the largest health care collaboration in the nation.

The Pennsylvania chronic care initiative is the largest, most comprehensive collaboration between providers, insurers and professional associations. States such as Vermont, Washington, Colorado and North Carolina have chronic care initiatives, but nothing on the same scale as the Pennsylvania project.

Based on the Wagner chronic care model, coupled with the patient-centered medical home model, the goal of this initiative is to change how primary care is delivered and reimbursed. Financially, the
program focuses on rewarding providers for changing health care delivery and promoting wellness, and not for the volume of patients they treat. A key component of this program is to encourage patients to become actively involved in their ongoing care.

The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit http://www.governor.state.pa.us.