UnitedHealthcare is collecting patient specific clinical data for colon, breast, rectal and lung cancer, as part of a new Cancer Status Collection initiative.

The clinical data will be collected every six months for these cancer patients. *  This data will allow us to combine patients into clinically similar groups - a sorting task we can not do using only claims data.  By combining patients into clinically similar groups, we can assess treatment approaches and make comparisons between like cases.  We will then use these clinically similar groups to perform quality and cost evaluations in medical oncology.

Our customers are asking us to identify oncologists who provide evidence-based and cost effective care for their employees.  Oncology has been excluded to date because we do not have sufficient information on clinical status to evaluate and compare in a meaningful way.  These new groupings will be the initial phase for developing oncology performance measures.

In 2008, we will be sharing your results with you and will provide comparison data of other unidentified oncology groups in our network.  After testing and incorporating feedback from you, we would like to include this assessment information in our 2009 UnitedHealth Premium® Designation program, in markets where the UnitedHealth Premium® Designation program has been launched.

The Cancer Status Forms are HIPAA compliant, which for the purposes of the Cancer Status Collection initiative, allows UnitedHealthcare and participating physicians to legally share clinical information for their health care operations without obtaining patient authorization.

Please complete the information requested on the Cancer Status Form and fax the form to (952) 698-4428.  We appreciate your time and effort.  Your responses will be used to help you understand how you compare to your peers as we develop the national data.

If you have additional questions about the Cancer Status Collection initiative, please contact us at (877) 269-3317 or send us an email at helpdesk@uhccancerstatus.com.  Include a contact name and phone number,  if you would like a return call rather than an email response to your questions.

* Currently, the program applies only to UnitedHealthcare members.  It does not apply to members enrolled in benefit plans insured or administered by Oxford Health Plans, PacifiCare, MAMSI, Neighborhood Health Plan or our other affiliated companies.  The program also does not apply to members enrolled in government programs such as AmeriChoice, Ovations, SecureHorizons or Medicare Advantage.