Aetna Texting Program to Help Members Better Manage Diabetes
May 23 2011 - 10:18AM
Business Wire
Aetna (NYSE: AET) today announced the launch of a special
texting program to help members who have been diagnosed with
diabetes more easily and successfully control their condition and
avoid complications. Members who agree to participate in the
program will receive educational text messages and reminders about
diabetes screenings and tests, medications, tips on healthy eating
and exercising and general health information.
“Managing a chronic condition like diabetes has to fit in and
keep pace with today’s increasingly busy lifestyles,” said Kyra
Bobinet, M.D., MPH, medical director of health and wellness
innovation for Aetna. “Statistics show that two-thirds of Americans
use text messaging on a daily basis. Texting reaches people in ways
that are even more convenient and easy for them. Tools and
information that can help members make better informed decisions
about their health care will be delivered to their fingertips
anywhere they go.”
The diabetes texting program is available initially to a limited
number of members who have Aetna medical, pharmacy and disease
management benefits. Members who sign-up will receive short
text-based messages on their mobile devices over a three-month
period. Members will be evaluated on how well they follow four
best-practice measures of diabetes management:
- Receive regular A1C screenings which
measures blood glucose levels
- Receive an annual LDL screening which
shows the level of bad cholesterol and cardiovascular risk
- Follow instructions for taking
medications
- Enroll in a disease management, nurse
and health coaching program
Aetna has a variety of programs in place to help people with
chronic conditions, like diabetes. Aetna’s full suite of health and
wellness programs as well as mobile technologies that include
iPhone, Android and Blackberry apps help members make immediate,
informed health care decisions. Aetna teamed up with Silverlink
Communications to launch the diabetes texting program. Aetna’s
Medicaid plan in Delaware (Delaware Physicians Care) pioneered the
use of health-related texting, successfully using it since 2006.
Aetna Medicaid currently offers a texting program to diabetic
members that provides health information and reminds members to
have routine blood testing.
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care
benefits companies, serving approximately 33.8 million people with
information and resources to help them make better informed
decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of
traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance
products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental,
behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical
management capabilities and health care management services for
Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals,
college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans,
governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and
expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com. To learn more
about Aetna’s innovative online tools, visit
www.aetnatools.com.
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