The Louisville-based Humana Inc. on Feb. 1 announced that it was partnering with the Denver-based DispatchHealth, an in-home medical care company, to provide an advanced level of care in members’ homes.
In a press release posted to Humana’s website on Monday, the company announced that “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. 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 press release referenced the following statistics: that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 56 percent of adults aged 65 and above have two or more chronic conditions; and 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, in a statement contained in the press release. “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.”
The press release went on to note that, “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.”
The press release also noted that “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.” And it quoted Mark Prather, DispatchHealth’s CEO, as stating that, “Now, more than ever, it is critical that our most vulnerable patients have access to care and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. 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.”
According to the press release, “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.”
