Humana, Signify Health team up to address social care for Medicare Advantage members
The partnership is intended to ensure needs are being met and that community services are being accessed.
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Humana and Signify Health have begun working together with the Alamo Area Community Network to support Humana Medicare Advantage members in San Antonio through AACN's community resources and by connecting those in need with health-related social services such as food, transportation, housing and financial assistance.
It marks the latest effort in Humana's six-year Bold Goal campaign to address health-related social needs.
The AACN is a partnership of more than 40 organizations, with a number programs and services geared toward effectively impacting social determinants of health for San Antonio residents.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
Addressing the social determinants of health helps improve patient outcomes and decrease the cost of care.
The nonprofits, government agencies, providers, payers and other social service organizations that are a part of the AACN, which use Signify Health's proprietary technology platform, collaborate to assure people's needs are being addressed, that community services are being accessed and to close the loop on referrals between AACN participants.
The organizations also expect the partnership will create an understanding of the effects on clinical outcomes for individuals and families over time.
Adoption is growing, the organizations said, and an increasing number of people are getting the assistance they need. Community-based organizations will be able to more effectively manage their resources and know their clients better, they said.
The AACN is convened by the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation and was cofounded by Autism Lifeline Links, United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, and the Warm Springs Foundation.
The partnership also includes Signify Health's Social Care Coordinators, who will provide outreach to Humana members to help them resolve their unmet needs.
THE LARGER TREND
Humana, one of the nation's largest health insurers, has made a number of moves in the past several months, with some geared toward its Medicare Advantage members. In February, it launched a pilot called Humana Care Support, formerly known as the Enterprise Clinical Operating Model, for a select group of Medicare Advantage enrollees.
The pilot is designed to enhance the integrated care members already receive from their providers. Many of Humana's provider partners are in value-based care agreements serving Medicare Advantage members, which have their own care management capabilities already in place.
Then in May, the insurer announced it would begin contracting with healthcare providers to offer coordinated care for patients who are beneficiaries of original Medicare. The new program will be facilitated through a value-based model called the Direct Contracting Model, in which the Humana Direct Contracting Entity will operate as Humana Care Solutions.
The goal of the model is to improve care quality, health outcomes and the patient experience, while lowering the cost of care for Medicare beneficiaries.
In a further effort to grow its presence in the value-based care space, Humana in June signaled its intent to acquire One Homecare Solutions, or onehome. onehome is a provider of a variety of home-based services, as well as a convener of home-health-services stakeholders and a care and risk manager. It has a value-based model in Florida and Texas.
A January Morning Consult poll of more than 1,200 seniors on Medicare commissioned by Better Medicare Alliance showed near-universal satisfaction with Medicare Advantage's coverage (98%), provider networks (97%) and handling of the current health crisis (98%).
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
