Addus HomeCare Corporation, a home care provider, stated that it has signed a value-based agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico for Medicaid members served by its subsidiary, Ambercare Corporation (Ambercare). Ambercare is a New Mexico-based provider of home health, hospice, and personal care services.
- Potentiality: When a care gap or potential illness acceleration is noticed by the client and/or their Addus caregiver, the “Stay Healthy at Home” program is meant to assist BCBSNM members in obtaining appropriate and timely care. The Addus team will use this information to engage with BCBSNM care coordination personnel to remove service obstacles, coordinate with the member’s primary care physician (PCP), and, when appropriate, deploy community-based clinical treatment as an alternative to emergency room visits or hospital admissions.
- Training: The program will also include specific training for Addus’ home care aides so they can more effectively identify and report changes in a member’s condition that could require urgent intervention. These reports will be reviewed and coordinated by Addus care transition coordinators and communicated to the health plan and member’s PCP for follow-up.
- Agreement: “We are pleased to enter this agreement with BCBSNM, to help achieve better health and financial results for BCBSNM as well as improved member satisfaction and outcomes. As a provider of comprehensive home-based care, we have a significant opportunity to work with the BCBSNM team to promote better outcomes. The “Stay Healthy at Home” program will benefit both our dedicated team of caregivers and the clients we serve across New Mexico. We look forward to working in partnership with BCBSNM, who shares our mission to provide quality, patient-centered care in the home”, Dirk Allison, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Addus, stated.
- Homecare services: Addus HomeCare is a supplier of in-home care services, principally personal care services to assist with daily activities, as well as hospice and home health services. Consumers of Addus HomeCare include generally the elderly, chronically sick, and disabled, who would otherwise be at risk of hospitalization or institutionalization if these services were not available.
- Coordinators: The “Stay Healthy at Home” arrangement will allow care coordinators from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico and Addus to “eliminate obstacles to service” and “activate community-based clinical care” to prevent hospital trips when appropriate. Addus will also teach home aides how to spot changes in a member’s condition so that they may communicate with their primary care physician about future actions.