Blue Shield of California Introduces At-Home Care Services to Accommodate Members' Busy Lives

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Nonprofit health plan's collaboration with DispatchHealth provides convenient, prompt at-home medical support to members, including evenings and weekends

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California members living in Southern California now have access to additional medical care services for a range of illnesses and injuries in the comfort and convenience of their homes through a collaboration with DispatchHealth.

DispatchHealth offers in-home, same-day, high-touch care that is delivered by a team of trained medical professionals who can treat more than 40 health conditions, including conditions like respiratory infections, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Care is available in English and Spanish from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Bridge care—assistance in transitioning high-risk members from hospital care to home care—is also available to help members with their recovery and prevent hospital readmissions.

In Blue Shield's recent test of DispatchHealth service for the health plan's members, more than half of those who used it did so after 5 p.m., which is when most primary care offices are closed and often the busiest hours for emergency rooms.

"With our DispatchHealth collaboration, Blue Shield can provide a convenient way for members to access quality care directly in their homes," said Peter Long, executive vice president of Strategy and Health Solutions at Blue Shield of California. "Meeting members where they are and removing barriers to care with quality at-home medical services is part of our mission to provide health care that's worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable."

Blue Shield of California members living in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties who are enrolled in Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), or Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans can access DispatchHealth services. While members with HMO plans must be referred by their primary care physician, those enrolled in PPO plans and Medi-Cal plans (in Los Angeles and San Diego counties) can receive access to DispatchHealth services by:

• Contacting Blue Shield of California Customer Care, Care Concierge, or Nurse Hotline
• Contacting DispatchHealth directly via their website

"DispatchHealth was created to bring safe, high-acuity care to patients with complex medical needs who often struggle with access to care," said Mark Prather, MD, co-founder and CEO of DispatchHealth. "As we have expanded our offerings and collaborations within the industry, we continue to believe care in the home is more patient-centered and offers the opportunity for better outcomes. We are grateful to deliver on the benefits of home-based care with Blue Shield of California."

This collaboration is part of Blue Shield of California's Health Reimagined strategy to transform health care through innovations that advance personalized, holistic, tech-enabled patient care. The work with DispatchHealth is the latest example of Blue Shield's collaboration with providers to increase access, convenience, and choice while improving quality of care, outcomes, and patient experience.

Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax-paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with 4.7 million members, 7,800 employees, and $22.9 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid, and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed $192 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last five years to have an impact on California communities.
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SOURCE Blue Shield of California