You lose money if you do not do a good job of managing the episode. The only thing they lose is not having their player back. While HealthSouth has not lost money on the program, profits have not been great, said Susan Mayer, director of episodic care management. We have saved AlaMed a great deal. Patients like the program as well, Scrushy said.
Patients get a lot of attention.
They don't have to figure out which doctors to go to. We give them the best doctors and a therapist that works real hard with them. Not all injuries may fall into specific categories. But once an injury is identified as an episode, HealthSouth covers all costs, including any complications, Scrushy said. The Work Place's Pirofsky said the program is a step in the right direction by streamlining care and improving communication.