Among the many things insurance companies must prioritize, managing medication overload is one of them. It is important that your company plays a role in keeping claimants safe when they require prescription medications related to the injuries from their claim. However, it can be difficult for examiners and adjusters to monitor medications prescribed to claimants since they have numerous other tasks that are equally important.
Northwood is an experienced durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and medical supplies (DMEPOS), pharmacy and ancillary service provider that can assist with this for your insurance company. For example, Northwood has processes and procedures in place that have helped with the issue of opioid misuse and abuse.
Insurance companies administering workers’ compensation and automobile no-fault claims have trusted Northwood to assist them in cutting back on adverse effects from opioids. It is well known that opioid use is an epidemic that has resulted in numerous lives lost. Because of this, it is important for your company to do its part in mitigating such tragic losses due to opioids.
Partnering with Northwood means that all physician prescribed services for your claimants will be evaluated for injury relatedness through a pre-authorization process. Pre-authorization also means that your claimants will only receive the medications that are absolutely necessary for their particular situation. This can help your company hold down costs due to physician prescribed services that aren’t related to the claim. This further cuts back on the chance that opioids could be misused.
In the case of opioid prescriptions, Northwood closely monitors them. For example, if a fill request came through for a claimant related to opioids, Northwood evaluates it carefully. If the fill request occurs too soon or doesn’t line up with the physician’s instructions, Northwood flags the request. Similarly, the fill request would be flagged if it occurs too often over time.
Northwood prioritizes keeping your claimants safe while also keeping your insurance company’s needs top of mind. In this example, pre-authorization means that the potential for opioid misuse or abuse is drastically reduced, which means your claimants are protected. Pre-authorization also means added convenience for your claimants because they don’t have to pay out of pocket for their prescriptions.
That added convenience means your claimants are more satisfied with your insurance company. And satisfied claimants are more likely to stay insured with you, resulting in higher retention rates over time.
Opioids can be a dangerous medication, though they are prescribed in certain cases to help claimants. Having Northwood as your partner deters opioid misuse, keeping your claimants safe while also providing multiple benefits for your insurance company. To learn more, please contact Rosanne Brugnoni at 586-755-3830 ext. 3771.
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