MediGuide offers Second Opinion services to self-insured employers directly or through their plan administrators. The list of eligible (qualifying) medical conditions is determined by the employer in accordance with demographics, claims experience, regional differences, and benefit plans design. The standard list of qualifying medical conditions (QMCs) includes cancers, benign tumors, and congenital heart defects. The QMCs represent a small percentage of cases, which constitute a significant part of overall healthcare costs (See Diagram 1, Source: Mercer 2004).

MediGuide facilitates access to quality healthcare services and experienced clinical decision making, which leads to greater acceptability, patient satisfaction, and patient compliance with proposed treatment guidelines (See Diagram 2, Source: MedStat/Palmer/Lawthers, 2004).

MediGuide provides employers with tools for improving health care management while enhancing employee satisfaction, in particular:

• Improves quality of medical care and outcomes due to more timely and accurate diagnoses, increased patient compliance, and minimization of pain and suffering
  
• Provides additional means for managing cost of care due to optimized diagnostic and treatment plans, including prescription drug usage
  
  
• Builds employee-friendly image and loyalty by easing access to advice from "centers of excellence" while minimizing employee’s out-of-pocket expenses
  
• Reduces legal exposure due to decrease in medical errors, misdiagnoses, mistreatments, and improved patient-physician communications
  
• Facilitates early return to work, if appropriate
  
• MediGuide’s independence from both insurers and medical centers augments image of objectivity and impartiality, and serves to balance existing mistrust towards health insurance system.

By striking where we can the gain the most, both from clinical and financial standpoint: at the "high impact" conditions, MediGuide creates potential for keeping in check or even lowering health care insurance premiums, which have been growing at double digit rate in the last several years (See Diagram 3. Gap Gemini Ernst and Young and The National Business Coalition on Health, 2002)

Most importantly, independent Second Opinion services save lives and provide “peace of mind” to all parties involved.

The service is offered on a capitated basis, as a part of the benefit plan design. It may also be offered as voluntary benefit. MediGuide will work with your company benefit administrator to maximize use of tax-advantaged instruments, such as FSA, HSA, MSA, Section 125 Cafeteria plans, etc. when appropriate.

Please visit our online Library to find links to articles and studies published by independent parties on efficacy and impact of Second Opinion and other disease management services.