DispatchHealth and Humana Team Up to Provide Hospital-Level Care in the Home
Last November, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a waiver program to allow qualified health care providers to offer acute, hospital-level care in the home.
Humana Inc., a leading health and well-being company, and DispatchHealth, a provider of in-home medical care, today announced an agreement to provide Humana members with access to an advanced level of care in the home – to help enhance patients’ experience and health outcomes. These services will be available in Denver, Colo., and Tacoma, Wash., with expansion to additional markets in Texas, Arizona and Nevada planned for later this year.
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The agreement will provide members living with multiple chronic conditions – such as cellulitis, kidney and urinary tract infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure and many others – an opportunity to be treated safely at home and thereby avoid hospital visits. Last November, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a waiver program to allow qualified health care providers to offer acute, hospital-level care in the home. The Dispatch-Humana agreement is believed to be the country’s first program to provide hospital-level care involving a national payer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 56 percent of adults age 65 years and older have two or more chronic conditions. Research has also shown that 63 percent of U.S. adults prefer to receive care at home.
“The agreement enhances Humana’s holistic approach to patient care and empowers clinicians to go beyond traditional clinical treatment,” said Susan Diamond, President of Humana’s Home Business. “Humana and DispatchHealth are focused on improving the overall home care experience and health outcomes by allowing individuals to remain at home while also empowering the medical team to identify and address patient needs, including social determinants of health.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Humana has seen a substantial increase in demand for in-home care. Some members – especially older adults with multiple chronic conditions – are seeking care at home to reduce their chance of exposure to the virus. Humana members who meet the clinical admission criteria will have access to an on-call dedicated DispatchHealth medical team, which includes an internal medicine trained physician with ER experience, and a physician assistant or nurse practitioner. Patients receive 24/7 physician coverage with remote monitoring, an emergency call button, and daily visits from DispatchHealth’s medical team, including bedside nursing.
Social determinants of health are the life circumstances and environments that impact a person’s health and well-being, including food insecurity, social isolation, loneliness and housing instability. The pandemic is exacerbating many behavioral, social and nutritional challenges.
DispatchHealth’s unique model and technology empower clinical care and coordination of other critical services, such as pharmacy and meal deliveries, physical and respiratory therapy, Durable Medical Equipment (DME) access and imaging services.
“Now, more than ever, it is critical that our most vulnerable patients have access to care and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions,” said Mark Prather, CEO of DispatchHealth. “Our Advanced Care services safely provide in-home medical care for acutely ill patients requiring multiple days of treatment. The natural link between our on-demand service offering and Advanced Care delivers on the vision of a hospital-like setting without walls. We look forward to expanding our relationship with our forward-thinking partner, Humana.”
Since launching in 2013, DispatchHealth, has delivered high-acuity care to over 220,000 patients in the home and saved over $227 million in medical costs. In addition to Advanced Care, DispatchHealth offers on-demand care services to treat simple to complex injuries and illnesses in 29 cities and is rapidly expanding to additional cities across the country. Patients can request a care visit by contacting DispatchHealth via phone, website, or their mobile app, and a medical team will arrive within two hours. DispatchHealth is open seven days a week, 365 days a year, including holidays. For more information, including market hours and areas of service, visit DispatchHealth.com.
About DispatchHealth
DispatchHealth helps reduce avoidable ER visits, a hospital admission or a skilled nursing facility stay by delivering high-acuity and cost-effective medical care to patients in their homes. DispatchHealth provides patient-centered care with an integrated delivery model and works in conjunction with health systems, payers, employers, senior living, provider groups and Emergency Medical Services. DispatchHealth’s current service lines include EMS (911 alternative), Acute Care (ER alternative), Bridge Care (readmission alternative), Advanced Care (hospital alternative), Extended Care (nursing facility alternative) and Clinic Without Walls (telehealth alternative). Patients can also contact DispatchHealth directly via phone, app or website. DispatchHealth is partnered with most major insurance companies. For more information, visit DispatchHealth.com.
About Humana
Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) is committed to helping our millions of medical and specialty members achieve their best health. Our successful history in care delivery and health plan administration is helping us create a new kind of integrated care with the power to improve health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large.
To accomplish that, we support physicians and other health care professionals as they work to deliver the right care in the right place for their patients, our members. Our range of clinical capabilities, resources and tools – such as in-home care, behavioral health, pharmacy services, data analytics and wellness solutions – combine to produce a simplified experience that makes health care easier to navigate and more effective.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at www.humana.com, including copies of:
- Annual reports to stockholders
- Securities and Exchange Commission filings
- Most recent investor conference presentations
- Quarterly earnings news releases and conference calls
- Calendar of events
- Corporate Governance information
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