Contacts: David W. Lown, General Manager, MCRA – (212) 583-0250 extension 2111 or dlown@mcra.com

MUSCULOSKELETAL CLINICAL REGULATORY ADVISERS, LLC., APPOINTS JANICE TORRE AS DIRECTOR OF CASE MANAGEMENT FOR NEWLY CREATED PATIENT ACCESS SUPPORT SERVICES OFFERING

Washington, DC – July 14, 2009–Musculoskeletal Clinical Regulatory Advisers, LLC., (MCRA), a health care consulting firm focused on musculoskeletal reimbursement, regulatory, clinical, intellectual property, and quality assurance strategy development, announced today the expansion of its service offerings to include Patient Access Support Services.

The new program enables patients with specific medical conditions to be referred by their physicians to MCRA for assistance with health insurance inquiries, pre-authorization and, if necessary, assistance with coverage denials and claims appeals. Under the leadership of Reimbursement Vice President, Charles Schneider, MCRA case management and coding professionals will assist patients in gaining access to emerging medical technologies deemed appropriate by their prescribing physician. To direct this program, Mr. Schneider announced the appointment of Janice Torre as Director of Case Management.

Ms. Torre most recently served as Vice President of Case Management, Utilization Management and Disease Management for ActiveHealth Management, a subsidiary of Aetna. Prior to joining Aetna, Ms. Torre developed and managed similar programs for Blue Cross of Washington, DC., Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care, Innovation Health and United Healthcare.  As a registered nurse for over 25 years, Ms. Torre worked at Washington DC- area medical centers, including Fairfax and George Washington University hospitals.

 “We are proud of this service expansion which is designed to assist patients who require access to emerging medical technologies deemed safe and effective by regulatory agencies, and deemed medically necessary by the patient’s physician,” Mr. Schneider said.

“The addition of Janice Torre will bring even greater depth to our firm, including experience in leading national and regional insurance carrier programs, as well as clinical expertise few other firms are able to offer,” he added.

David Lown, General Manager of MCRA, said, “The growth of our Reimbursement Group has been extraordinary during the past two years and demand for consulting services has increased sharply. The addition of a Patient Access service offering further distinguishes us in the marketplace and allows MCRA to extend its services to help those most in need - the patients.”

Ms. Torre said: “I am excited to join MCRA’s Reimbursement group. Patient Access support services will further complement strategic and reimbursement management services, as well as establishing a competitive advantage over other consulting firms.” 

About MCRA
MCRA was founded in 2003 and is the leading neuro-musculoskeletal consulting firm assisting companies at all stages of development, whether they are single-product companies or companies with several thousand technologies. MCRA provides “first-in-class” service to its clients through its superior knowledge base, global surgeon relationships and deeply experienced management team. The true value of MCRA is the integration of five business value creators—regulatory, reimbursement, clinical, intellectual property and quality assurance. MCRA’s integration of these key value creating initiatives, as well as its focused specialization, creates unparalleled expertise to its clientele.