Managed Care Education and Liaison Program
In the summer of 2004, ORA member volunteers met with the medical directors of the six largest insurance companies in Oregon. THe liaisons established a dialogue with the medical directors by sharing our purpose and position statements on medical policy issues relevant to the rheuamtology community. Since the initial meetings, several medical directors from the insurance interface program have solicited the opinions of ORA representatives. The liaisons and medical directors have discussed the revision of their current treatment policies including preferred drug status,TNF and methotrexate policy, and wording regarding disease stage and diagnosis. Based on the ORA principle that physicians, health care managers, pharmaceutical companies and patients should work cooperatively to insure a better health care system for everyone, this program builds relationships between ORA members and other rheumatic care stakeholders, creating an open discourse on a personal level. If you would like to become an interface representative, contact ORA at ora@efn.org
The table below lists the current ORA liaisons and thier corresponding insurance company. Please contact ORA or the liaison member directly with any issues you may be facing with arthritis managed care policy in Oregon.
| Insurance Company Medical Director |
ORA Member Liaison | ORA Member Liaison Phone Numbers |
|---|---|---|
CIGNA |
Walter Emori, MD |
541-608-7511 541-382-2811 |
| ODS Csaba Mera, MD 503-228-6554 |
Peter Bonafede, MD Bill Maier, MD |
503-215-6819 541-434-5585 |
Pacificare |
Betsy Tindall, MD Gerald Schoepflin, MD |
503-620-2117 503-255-5187 |
PacificSource |
Paul Hudson, MD Cody Wasner, MD |
541-484-0195 503-683-0710 |
| Premera - Lifewise Eric Wall, MD 503-279-5219 |
Ron Fraback, MD Andre Barkhuizen, MD |
503-297-3384 503-494-8963 |
| Regence BCBS Ralph Prows, MD 503-225-5221 |
Dan Fohrman, MD Betsy Tindall, MD |
541-382-2811 503-620-2117 |