In the fourth part of Payer’s Pandemic Protection (PPP), DistiliNFO takes a closer look at measures taken by Humana
Humana collaborated with multiple community service organizations to address social factors that can significantly impact individual and community health, including food and housing insecurity. Both social determinants of health are even more acute today in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic downturn.
1. Community Investments
Humana’s community investments in the initial phase of the pandemic total nearly $500,000 and build on an earlier initiative to provide more than $1.6 million in COVID-19 relief and recovery assistance in Ohio. Its Rapid Response initiative has facilitated the delivery of more than 20,000 meal kits throughout Ohio.
Humana and the Humana Foundation have committed more than $1 million in COVID-19 relief for communities in Georgia. Besides, support from The Humana Foundation includes a $500,000 commitment to the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.
Key Take Away: Health care delivery is multidimensional. Treatments in just one of the components. An inclusive solution can help fight the pandemic.
2. Health and Housing Initiatives
Additionally, Humana has contributed to health and housing initiatives, including $25,000 to the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation for eviction rental assistance and utility support; $15,000 to the ARCHI Diabetes Telephonic Coaching Line; $10,000 for personal protective equipment provided to several rural hospitals in Georgia, in partnership with HomeTown Health; $8,000 to HOPE Atlanta’s COVID-19 response housing initiative; and $4,000 to the American Diabetes Association’s Virtual Diabetes Forum.
Last year, the company announced to mail more than 1 million in-home preventive care screening kits to members, helping increase access to routine screenings that many members have put off during the COVID-19 crisis. Humana’s new initiative, which triples the number of screening kits sent to members, comes as many people have postponed all but the most necessary health procedures during COVID-19, limiting doctors’ appointments and emergency room visits.
Humana was among the first insurers to offer at-home COVID-19 test kits and drive-thru COVID-19 testing at hundreds of Walmart Neighborhood Market pharmacies across the country.
Key Take Away: Even in the pandemic, other life-sustaining factors and regular check-ups should not be avioded.
3. Waivers
The company announced to waive all member costs related to COVID-19 testing and treatment. Within months of the pandemic gripping the country, Humana announced that at the end of each month, it will send a stipend to its dental provider partners, based on the total number of claims for members that month. In addition to financial support, Humana also offered 24/7 access to its EAP and Work-Life Services to providers in its dental networks.
Humana eliminated out-of-pocket costs for office visits so that Medicare Advantage members could reconnect with their healthcare providers. To reduce barriers, Humana waived in-network primary care costs, not only for COVID-19 costs but all primary care visits for 2020. In addition, the company waived member costs for outpatient, non-facility-based behavioral health visits through the end of the year. The insurer also extended telehealth cost-share waivers for all telehealth visits—PCP and specialty, including behavioral health, for in-network providers through 2020.
The Humana Foundation also announced to distribute $34 million of the $50 million commitment to the immediate short-term response efforts of service organizations on the frontlines of the COVID-19 health crisis. The remaining $16 million has been kept for long-term recovery and rebuilding support for service organizations that are fighting COVID-19.
It waived consumer costs for treatment related to COVID-19-covered services. Costs related to treatment for COVID-19, including inpatient hospital admissions, were waived for enrolees of Medicare Advantage plans, fully insured commercial members, Medicare Supplement, and Medicaid.
Key Take Away: Extra support, resources and funding are key to figh the unexpected pandemic.
Conlusion: The Payer has put the best foot-forward to come up multi-layered resources to fight the pandemic, which unexpected gripped the world in its jaw. Along with managing rapid organizational transformations included by pandemic, the payer has rose to the occasion keeping the customers into the focus.