New Agreement Enhances In-Home Care for
Patients
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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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005622/en/
Courtney Richard, for DispatchHealth BAM Communications
courtney@bamtheagency.com 720-236-8290 Cary B. Willis Humana
Corporate Communications cwillis21@humana.com 502-905-5860
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