Best Programs and Best People Service. Managed care priorities related to quality improvement and evidence-based medicine present manufacturers with opportunities to provide valuable program support. HIRC has developed a series of case studies to provide insight into manufacturers' value-added programs that target health plan and PBM goals in Medicare star, reducing hospital admissions, and HEOR. These case studies reveal the methods used to create innovative program partnerships and highlight key successful outcomes. HIRC's Managed Care Case Studies report addresses the following questions:

• What opportunities exist for manufacturers to partner with managed care customers on programs that target specific managed care priorities?
• How are pharmaceutical firms linking their value-added programs and resources to managed care customers' goals?
• How are manufacturers identifying opportunities to support key initiatives? How are they approaching program design?

Key Finding: Pharmaceutical companies can distinguish themselves as valued partners by clearly demonstrating the direct impact of resources and programs on targeted quality ratings. 

Case Studies Highlight Strategic Partnerships with GSK, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Pfizer. Managed care customers recognize the potential impact of existing programs on quality ratings and other key initiatives and value ongoing support from pharmaceutical company sponsors. Each of the collaborative programs highlighted in HIRC's case studies have been successfully aligned with health plan and PBM priorities in quality improvement or evidence-based medicine.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Assists Health Plan in Improving Medicare Star Ratings. Bristol-Myers Squibb assisted a large regional health plan within an integrated delivery network in identifying gaps in Medicare Star measures and developing plans to improve ratings in under performing regions. The program included a therapeutic focus on improving adherence to diabetes medications as well as a broad focus on the utilization of high risk medications in the elderly.

Multiple stakeholders from Bristol-Myers Squibb and the health plan were involved in program implementation, with the BMS account manager initially introducing the program to the plan.

The complete report discusses the key components, the program implementation process, and benefits and results from GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Pfizer's programs. The report also discusses the criteria for success in developing programs linked to specific managed care customer initiatives. 

Research Methodology and Report Availability. In October 2013, HIRC performed in-depth qualitative telephone interviews with 2 health plan panelists and one leading PBM to gather information for this report. The Managed Care Programs Case Studies report is part of the Best Programs and Best People Service, and is now available to subscribers at www.hirc.com/summary/bp.