Papa and Highmark Wholecare Bring Social Assistance to Pennsylvania's Vulnerable Populations

MIAMI, March 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Papa, a curated platform of companionship and support for older adults, families, and other vulnerable populations, and Highmark Wholecare^TM, formerly Gateway Health, a leading managed care organization dedicated to caring for the total health of its members, today announced a partnership to address the social needs of Pennsylvania's most vulnerable populations, including at-risk adults. The collaboration offers a new approach to member engagement, especially for Medicaid beneficiaries.

Papa's companionship and care services were made available on Feb. 7, 2022 to eligible Highmark Wholecare Medicaid members in Pennsylvania, specifically at-risk members who have comorbidities such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), anxiety, cardiovascular disease and depression, and those at risk for social isolation who might benefit from additional support.

This expanded partnership demonstrates Highmark Wholecare's commitment to wholecare, a new kind of care that helps people achieve whole life health, not just physical health, by addressing members' social determinants of health. Social determinants of health are the circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, learn, work, and age, all of which directly affect physical and mental health.

Papa's on-demand workforce of compassionate Papa Pals will address specific needs for Highmark Wholecare Medicaid members, using the power of connectedness to improve health and close gaps in care. Papa Pals are trained companions who provide human help for critical day-to-day tasks, such as local transportation, light housekeeping, meal preparation, technology troubleshooting, and social connection. By serving as eyes and ears in the home, these trusted companions are able to understand the needs of members and to connect members to plan benefits or vital community resources.

"Medicaid beneficiaries are too often overlooked in the health care system. It's time we deliver the quality, compassionate, human care that these members deserve, which is especially critical for those who live with chronic conditions," said Andrew Parker, Papa founder and CEO. "Through our partnership with Highmark Wholecare, our Papa Pals can understand firsthand member needs and help address the far-too-common barriers to health and vitality. Highmark Wholecare is a leader in providing whole person care, and we're proud to join them in a collective mission to improve health outcomes for this vulnerable population."

"At Highmark Wholecare, our mission is to care for the whole person in communities where the need is greatest and we see a future where everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve their best health," said Anthony Solem, Vice-President, Medicaid, Highmark Wholecare. "We continuously search for ways to improve the lives of our members facing difficult circumstances. We are proud to continue our partnership with Papa beyond older adults, and to provide our eligible Medicaid members with additional resources and services. Through this partnership, we can improve the daily lives of our at-risk Medicaid members."

To learn more about Papa, please visit papa.com

About Papa 
Papa and its Papa Pals platform provide "family on demand," by working with Medicare, Medicaid, and employer-sponsored health plans to provide a companionship and care benefit for older adults and families. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Miami, Papa is backed by Canaan, Tiger Global Management, Comcast Ventures, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, TCG, Initialized Capital, and Seven Seven Six, among other revered institutional and individual investors. For more information, visit papa.com.

About Highmark Wholecare
We believe in caring for the whole person in all communities where the need is greatest. We see a future in which everyone has equal opportunity to achieve their best health. Through our leading Medicaid and Medicare programs, we are coordinating healthcare that goes beyond doctors and medicine that helps members achieve not just physical health, but also delivers whole person care. Our associates are helping to drive this new kind of healthcare in collaboration with a network of 29,000 primary care physicians, specialists, hospitals, and other ancillary providers. We are also committed to supporting our neighbors through our many community outreach and engagement programs.

Papa Media Contact:
Emily Hackel
Vice President, Communications
[email protected] 

Highmark Wholecare Media Contact:
John Pepper
Director of Communication Services
[email protected]

SOURCE Papa Inc.