STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The state of Idaho has awarded Thomson Healthcare (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) a multi-year contract to provide a healthcare decision support system and data warehouse (DSS/DW) for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, as part of the state's efforts to modernize its Medicaid Management Information System. The DSS/DW system will improve the department's ability to manage and mine data from 9 million healthcare claims submitted to the state Medicaid program each year. "We're very pleased to be working with the state of Idaho, and we're looking forward to supporting the state's efforts to increase quality, manage costs, and fight fraud in its Medicaid program," said Pate McCartney, Thomson Healthcare vice president and general manager. The Department of Health and Welfare will use analytic and reporting capabilities of the Thomson Healthcare DSS/DW to strengthen management of Medicaid programs, measure cost effectiveness and quality of care, forecast budgets, and fulfill federal Management and Administrative Reporting (MAR) requirements. The system will generate information that supports program planning and evaluation, financial reporting, healthcare utilization management, Medicaid eligibility analysis, actuarial rate setting, and other functions. It will also serve as the department's Surveillance and Utilization Review System (SURS), which is mandated for every state Medicaid program by the federal government to help detect healthcare fraud and abuse. The Thomson Healthcare solution integrates an analytically ready data warehouse with advanced methodologies and business intelligence applications to provide a powerful decision support system. It will be specifically configured to meet the unique needs of the Idaho Medicaid program and will replace the program's existing information system. About Thomson Healthcare Thomson Healthcare is the leading provider of decision support solutions that help organizations across the healthcare industry improve clinical and business performance. Thomson Healthcare products and services help clinicians, hospitals, employers, health plans, government agencies, and pharmaceutical companies manage the cost and improve the quality of healthcare. Thomson Healthcare is a part of The Thomson Corporation, a provider of value-added information, software tools and applications to professionals in the fields of healthcare, law, tax, accounting, scientific research, and financial services. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). For more information, visit (http://www.thomsonhealthcare.com/). DATASOURCE: Thomson Healthcare CONTACT: David Wilkins, +1-734-913-3397, , for Thomson Healthcare Web site: http://www.thomsonhealthcare.com/

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