title: Disease management primer: managing dollars by managing disease.
abstract: The costliest participants to treat are those with chronic and serious, acute conditions that are often preventable. Developing programs aimed at patients with chronic conditions could be the key to getting control of health care costs. Disease management programs seek to alleviate some of this expense by better managing chronic illnesses and improving the overall health care of employees.
authors.affiliation: Aon's Communication Consulting, Winston-Salem, USA.
authors.forename: Laura S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Wieners
authors.forename: Leann R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D003363:Cost Control / Q000379:methods; D019468:Disease Management; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D005102:Health Expenditures; D020408:Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review