Humana Investing $100 million in Heal, a startup telehealth company
Humana is investing $100 million in Heal, a startup telehealth company, to bring in-person primary care to the home through house calls and telemedicine appointments. Through an easy-to-use app and website, patients can schedule a telemedicine appointment or an in-home visit from a doctor in their local area. In May, Heal also launched Heal Teletherapy for those suffering from anxiety, fear, depression, and other mental health issues during the COVID crisis. “This type of care not only provides a more comfortable and secure environment for patient care, but also allows doctors to observe indicators such as medication bottles, fall risks, allergens, and food insecurities,” Humana announced in their press release.
Heal provides services to Medicare beneficiaries, group commercial members, and those with individual coverage. The partnership will make it easier for those who are healthy and aging into Medicare as well as those living with multiple chronic conditions to receive primary care in the comfort of their own homes. Added flexibility and expanded home-based care was something Humana said were in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the terms of the partnership, Humana and Heal will also expand their coverage into other markets such as Chicago, Charlotte, Houston, and others. These new markets are part of Humana’s Bold Goal initiative which is focused on “addressing the needs of the whole person by co-creating solutions to address social determinants and the health-related social needs for our members and communities.”
The future of Telehealth Beyond Covid-19
Thanks to the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, CMS was allowed to “temporarily waive certain Medicare restrictions and requirements regarding telehealth services during the coronavirus public health emergency.” So while COVID-19 raised telemedicine’s profile as a way for seniors and other vulnerable populations to receive services while social distancing, the option is temporary and will expire. Due to telehealth’s popularity many health care experts, along with state and national leaders, call for a long-term policy change to permanently remove Medicare barriers to telehealth. Otherwise, AHIP cautions, we lose what could be the ideal environment to fundamentally reshape America’s health care system and permanently prioritize access to care,
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