A South Central Wisconsin group health cooperative that began offering alternative health services like acupuncture and massage therapy 18 years ago will close its services at the end of the year.
Researchers have found that acupuncture may reduce headaches in people who suffer from chronic tension headaches.
Group Health has offered so-called complementary health care by charging its members discounted rates. The Madison-based HMO is ending the program because the service is now widely available elsewhere and as Group Health invests more in behavioral health services, company officials said. said Marty Anderson, Head of Strategy and Business Development.
In 2005, “we realized there was a need, but it wasn’t being met,” Anderson said. Now, “complementary health services are more available in the community.”
The fees Group Health charges its members, such as $59 for a regular acupuncture treatment or an hour-long massage and $45 for a follow-up visit with a naturopath, only cover about half of the program costs. The maximum loss was $1. That’s $1 million a year, Anderson said.
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Doubling the price would make it more expensive than other services, he said. He said about 3% of Group Health’s 79,000 members have used the service. Some of the 13 complementary health providers whose work ends on December 31st have launched websites at wi-wellness-collective.com to help patients continue to find them.
Group Health CEO Dr. Mark Huth informed members of the program’s termination in a Sept. 5 letter, the Capital Times reported last week.
The move is “part of a broader strategy to better address important emerging health care needs in our communities,” including behavioral health, Hughes’ letter said. .
Anderson said Group Health has expanded the GHC Foundation’s intensive outpatient program to target mental health patients transitioning into the community after hospitalization and those who need more treatment than a typical outpatient visit. .
The program started two years ago with the capacity to accept eight patients at a time, but can now accept up to 16 patients. Insured by Group Health, Quartz, Dean, and The Alliance, Madison employer cooperatives that self-insure their employees and purchase health insurance together.
Next month, Group Health plans to begin intensive in-home behavioral services for its members’ autistic children, Anderson said. HMOs have provided non-intensive services such as speech therapy and occupational therapy.
UW Health’s integrative health programs include acupuncture and massage therapy.
