Galileo and Wellcare Forge a New Partnership in Maine Benefitting Thousands of Medicare Advantage Members

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Oct 17, 2023, 09:04 ET

Partnership Seeks to Increase Access and Improve Health Outcomes While Combating Healthcare Deserts

AUGUSTA, Maine, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Galileo, a rapidly growing primary care innovator started by the founder of One Medical, and Wellcare, a leading provider of Medicare products and wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, today announced a new partnership to increase access to care, improve health outcomes and combat healthcare deserts in the state of Maine. More than twenty-three thousand Wellcare members in the state will now have access to Galileo for their primary care. The partnership builds on existing work between Galileo and Wellcare in three other states.

Together, Galileo and Wellcare aim to expand access to quality care and achieve better health outcomes by tackling the emergence of "healthcare deserts" – one of the biggest challenges facing the U.S. healthcare system. By recent estimates, more than 80% of counties in the U.S. are now categorized as healthcare deserts¹ - areas with inadequate access to medical care, particularly for the elderly, in large part due to declines in the number of primary care professionals based in those counties. In Maine's rural Aroostook County, nearly 20% of residents need to travel 30 miles or more to be seen by a primary care physician.²

Effective September 1, 2023, Wellcare's Medicare Advantage members now have access to Galileo's population-based care delivery model. Members receive personalized primary and chronic/complex specialty care in the comfort of their homes, via mobile clinics and through virtual 24/7 care. In addition, all Galileo patients receive one-on-one, coordinated care management through Galileo's Health Advocate Team.

"Like many parts of America, Maine residents experience inadequate access to quality healthcare, due to the remote nature of many of its rural communities. At Galileo, we have pioneered a quality care model that can reliably reach last-mile populations with not just standard care but superior population-based primary and complex chronic care management." said Galileo's Chief Partnership Officer, Alex Blum, M.D., MPH. "This flexible care model with innovative partners like Wellcare will help us solve today's toughest healthcare challenges and improve outcomes."

Wellcare and Galileo began their partnership in New York, offering Medicare Advantage Members virtual, in-home and mobile care. With the recent addition of South Carolina and Maine, Galileo now has the ability to serve more than 95,000 Wellcare members across three states.

"We are pleased to continue our partnership with Galileo as we work together to improve access to quality care and support improved clinical outcomes for our diverse and complex Medicare Advantage members," said Centene's Medicare CEO, Rich Fisher. "We look forward to continued success as we work collaboratively in Maine for the benefit of Medicare Advantage members."

About Galileo

Galileo is a rapidly growing, population-based medical group working to improve the quality and affordability of healthcare for all. Operating across 50 states, Galileo offers high-touch, multi-specialty longitudinal care to diverse and complex patients — on the phone, in the home, and everywhere in between. Regional and national health plans, employers, and Fortune 500 organizations trust Galileo as the leading solution to improve population health.

Founded by Thomas Lee, MD, the healthcare pioneer behind One Medical and Epocrates, Galileo includes leading innovators from healthcare, technology, and human-centered design. More can be discovered on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Wellcare

For more than 20 years, Wellcare has offered a range of Medicare products, including Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDP), which offer affordable coverage beyond Original Medicare. Today, the company offers benefits with every Medicare beneficiary in mind, such as dental, hearing and vision services; Flex cards to assist with co-pays; transportation services; telehealth visits; wellness and fitness programs; in-home support services; and special supplemental benefits for the chronically ill. Wellcare is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise committed to transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. For more information about Wellcare, visit www.wellcare.com.

Wellcare is the Medicare brand for Centene Corporation, an HMO, PPO, PFFS, PDP plan with a Medicare contract and is an approved Part D Sponsor. Our D-SNP plans have a contract with the state Medicaid program. Enrollment in our plans depends on contract renewal.

Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system.

Provider may also contract with other Plans/Part D sponsors.

Please contact your plan for details.

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