Design and Implementation of an of an Innovative HRA-based Wellness & Prevention Demonstration

In May 2009, CMS initiated the Senior Risk Reduction Demonstration (SRRD) to determine whether risk reduction programs that have been developed and tested in the private sector can also be tailored to and work well with Medicare beneficiaries – to improve their health and reduce avoidable health care utilization. The SRRD is based on evidence that CMS gathered as part of its Healthy Aging Project, which showed that effective risk reduction programs, beginning with the administration of a Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) and including evidence-based and tailored behavior change follow-up interventions, exert a beneficial effect on behavioral, physiological, and general health status outcomes. Rather than taking a single risk factor approach to health management, the SRRD addresses the multiple risks that contribute to disease, including physical inactivity, obesity, smoking, depression, high blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose, and inappropriate use of clinical preventive services. Approximately 40,000 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries randomly selected from across the country were invited to participate in the three-year demonstration. The specific aims are to: identify the best ways to reduce health risk factors in the senior population; test tailored intervention materials; facilitate evaluation of program impact on risk factors; test the program's ability to make referrals to community/volunteer programs; determine whether program features are acceptable to beneficiaries; and examine cost impact and return on investment (ROI). This session will review the design of SRRD and its anticipated outcomes.