What is Nationwide Better Health?
Nationwide Better Health^SM, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, provides integrated health and productivity management solutions. Nationwide Better Health provides a continuum of services which includes absence and disability management, utilization, case, disease and maternity management, health promotion (health risk assessment, biometric screening and lifestyle management programs) and a nurse advice line. Our services are available across the country and they are designed to help organizations manage their health care costs while improving the health and well-being of their employees and dependents.

Our programs are comprehensive and teach individuals to work with their physicians, comply with treatment plans and become active participants in their own health care. This approach is unique because we monitor all members in our programs, not just those who are already seriously ill. The creation of this comprehensive method, called advanced care management, means that all individuals, whether chronically ill, disabled or just in need of lifestyle modifications, get the care and attention they need.

What services does Nationwide Better Health provide?
Nationwide Better Health provides absence and disability management; health promotion, medical, disease and maternity management services, and 24/7 nurse advice line.

What conditions and diseases does Nationwide Better Health have experience in managing?
Nationwide Better Health provides URAC-accredited programs featuring nurse health coaches that help members manage the following chronic conditions:

• asthma
• congestive heart failure
• coronary artery disease
• diabetes

Nationwide Better Health also provides programs for:

• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• depression
• low back pain
• oncology management, including the physical and emotional side effects of cancer treatment.

Who will be working with my patient?
Nationwide Better Health's health coaches are licensed, our registered nurses have a minimum of three years of experience in direct patient care, at least three years experience in cardiac, respiratory or diabetes nursing; or at least one year experience in home health care, hospice care or case management; or significant experience in teaching or patient education. When appropriate, Nationwide Better Health may also utilize other health professionals, such as health educators or LPNs as health coaches or coordinators. Nurses are required to obtain advanced clinical certification as soon as they are eligible, and must continue to maintain their certification status.

Nationwide Better Health nurse health coaches have experience in areas such as high-risk obstetrics, pediatrics, neonatology and cardiology. Cases referred for disease management are assigned to a nurse health coach based on specialty requirements.

What can Nationwide Better Health do for my patients?
Nationwide Better Health will teach your patients (via telephone coaching sessions) to comply with your treatment plan and become active participants in their own health care. In addition, your patients will be given disease/condition-specific education materials, such as brochures and newsletters from authoritative sources, and access to our online tools.

Can I refer ANY of my patients to Nationwide Better Health for services?
Nationwide Better Health services are offered to your patients through either their health care coverage or directly from an employer. Only patients who fit into these categories qualify to receive our services, including telephonic disease management.

Can I request educational topics for my patient?
Yes. Nationwide Better Health uses a variety of educational materials, including disease/condition-specific brochures, newsletters, audio tape library, website, specific internet links, on-site case management and community-based programs. Educational materials and interventions are selected based on the patient's needs.

How do I contact Nationwide Better Health?
You can contact us in a number of ways including telephone, fax, e-mail, Internet and U.S. mail.

Nationwide Better Health
300 Clubhouse Road, Suite 100
Hunt Valley, MD 21031
Tel: 410.891.3300
Toll Free: 800.925.8573
Fax: 410.329.1940


What hours are Nationwide Better Health nurse health coaches available?
The utilization management call center is open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, except during holidays. Clinical personnel can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week for urgent utilization management matters when the call center is not open.

Nationwide Better Health disease management program staff can be reached Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, except during holidays.

After hours, you and your patients can leave confidential voicemails for nurse health coaches. Those voicemails will be returned the next business day. Your patients can also call the nurse advice line 24 hours a day, seven days a week for urgent advice. In addition, your patients can access health information through this website.

How can Nationwide Better Health help my patient comply with my treatment plan?
Our nurse health coaches will work with your patients who are our members to help answer any questions they might have about your treatment plan and/or medications. After all, your patient ultimately decides whether your prescribed treatment plan will be followed properly. The values and beliefs of the patient ultimately determine lifestyle habits, which have a dramatic impact on the development and progression of illness.

What are the Nationwide Better Health HealthModels^®?
Nationwide Better Health HealthModels are the proprietary, evidence-based, disease management guidelines that allow our nurse health coaches to provide individualized information and influence behavior change.

First, HealthModels focuses the member on survival skills. Members are taught to work effectively with their physicians, implement and comply with treatment plans, and manage their own conditions. Then, HealthModels guides the nurse health coach throughout the member management process, including:

• Interviewing members, gathering information and recognizing problems
• Developing a care plan that addresses the problems identified, and providing specific interventions, educational materials and instructional techniques
• Monitoring, tracking and recording progress and final outcomes

How can Nationwide Better Health help pregnant patients?
Our maternity management program, FutureFootsteps^®, is unique because we offer ongoing assessments, education, support and coordination of benefits to all pregnant women – not just those found to be high risk. By providing this specialized service, we are able to decrease the potential for complications and increase the chance of a healthy pregnancy for mother and infant.

Each pregnant member is assigned a Nationwide Better Health health coach, who has specialized training in high-risk obstetrics and an average of 15 years of experience in the field. These health coaches use our HealthModels, our sophisticated disease management guidelines, to help them provide an individualized plan of care and, if necessary, influence behavior change. Our health coaches use HealthModels to review each member's demographic, medical, environmental, psychosocial and family status to identify any significant conditions that may affect the pregnancy. Based on the assessment, a risk level is assigned to the member. This level determines the interventions and the health coach's involvement during the pregnancy, and is reassessed during each contact. At a minimum, every maternity member is assessed and education is provided in telephone coaching sessions at the beginning, middle and end of the pregnancy and during the postpartum period. Each member is also provided with individualized educational materials at an appropriate reading level and at an appropriate time in the pregnancy. Many materials are available in both English and Spanish.

During these contacts with the expectant mother, the maternity health coach covers a variety of topics stressing the importance of good prenatal care and compliance with prenatal appointments and their physician's advice.

Will Nationwide Better Health services cost my patient money?
No. Our services are free to your patient. They have been purchased by the employer or health plan.

Are Nationwide Better Health services confidential?
Yes. All Nationwide Better Health offerings are provided in accordance with all HIPAA regulations as applicable to our status as a business associate.

Is Nationwide Better Health an accredited service?
Yes. Nationwide Better Health has been accredited for utilization, case, disease and maternity management by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission.

Will Nationwide Better Health provide feedback to me regarding my patients?
Yes. We request written permission from our member to notify the provider/practitioners when they enroll in one of our disease management programs. Our nurse health coaches or physicians may also contact the practitioner to determine if there are specific health-related issues that should be addressed during disease management. Our staff may also contact the practitioner to obtain clinical values. Should the nurse health coach or physician become aware of a change in their patient's condition, he or she will also notify the practitioner. Nationwide Better Health also welcomes the physician to contact our nurse health coach if there are specific teaching issues that they would like covered with their patient.

What is Nationwide Better Health's compensation policy?
Nationwide Better Health does not offer financial incentives to employees or contracted clinical professionals performing review services. Clinical and clinical support staff members are compensated on a salary basis. Clinical reviewers with whom Nationwide Better Health contracts to perform review services are compensated either on a case or hourly rate.

What are my rights as a physician/provider?