PPOs are adopting disease management quickly, as the benefits for marketing, customer retention, and profitability become apparent. Among national PPOs which are part of integrated health plans, Cigna, Aetna, Anthem, and Humana are leading the way. Among the independent network PPOs, the clear leader is Great-West Healthcare, which won the "Best PPO in Disease Management" award from the Disease Management Association of America (DMAA) and whose scope of offerings and pricing for those offerings is far out in front of its competitors.

A complete list of PPOs, including Blues and non-Blues, offering high-quality programs affordably to employers (including some Blues which fully subsidize such programs), is available to Consortium member employers at no cost, and other employers for $100.

PPOs interested in being on that list can either ask for the application and have their programs evaluated (about one-third pass) or join the Disease Management Purchasing Consortium (DMPC) and have us procure the programs, in order to ensure that high-quality programs are procured at a reasonable price and with-that rarity of rarities-- biostatistically sound metrics used to measure outcomes.

It's not just a coincidence that the DMAA's "Best PPO in Disease Management" award went to the first PPO ever to join the DMPC, in 1999. To paraphrase the immortal philosopher Chevy Chase, we know how to procure disease management and you don't.

PPO administrators should also look at the DM conference listings to learn about the status of disease management conferences specifically designed for the PPO industry.