The nonprofit health plan teams up with
Accolade and TeleMed2U to connect members to virtual and in-person
care through a new, virtual-first plan.
OAKLAND,
Calif., Jan. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield
of California today unveiled its
Virtual Blue health benefits plan offering members
easy-to-access, comprehensive care through a team of
"virtual-first" primary, behavioral, and specialist healthcare
professionals.
In addition to virtual care, members can access Blue Shield of
California's statewide preferred
provider organization (PPO) network for in-person care, plus
national BlueCard and global GeoBlue coverage when care is needed
outside of California. The plan,
effective April 1, 2023, is now
available to be selected by Blue Shield's employer customers as a
benefits offering for employees.
A dedicated care team, right at members'
fingertips
Key features of Virtual Blue include $0 out-of-pocket cost (no copay, nor deductible
charges) for the following virtual care services:
- Primary care, including pediatrics, family medicine, and
internal medicine
- Specialty care that includes 20 specialties
- Integrated mental health care for members ages 4 and older,
including access to psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed clinical
social workers (LCSW), and marriage and family therapists
(MFT)
- 24/7 urgent care
The benefit plan offers simple online booking for virtual
appointments. Copays and deductibles will apply when using an
in-person provider or a virtual provider outside of Virtual Blue's
platform.
"This is health care the way it should be – integrated and
accessible care that puts the member and their health at the
center," said Tim Lieb, senior vice
president at Blue Shield of California. "The access to behavioral health
services is especially important as our members cope and overcome
the impact of the pandemic on their own lives. As a mission-driven
nonprofit health plan, Blue Shield is committed to creating a
healthcare system worthy of our family and friends that's
sustainably affordable, and Virtual Blue is the latest example of
that."
Accessible, integrated care experience that emphasizes
doctor-patient relationships to support whole-person care
In
Accolade's Advanced Primary Care model, physicians work with a team
of certified health coaches, care coordinators, and nurses who help
members pursue health and wellness goals, manage chronic conditions
and coordinate specialty and in-person care.
Virtual Blue members can choose an Accolade primary care
physician based on criteria such as gender, race, years of
experience, and language. All virtual care, including mental health
and specialty care, is available on a single
platform. Accolade's virtual primary care physicians have
achieved a 90% patient satisfaction score. They are 62% female and
nearly 40% Black, Indigenous, or people of color. All physicians
are board certified in a primary care specialty, and members can
choose physicians with experience in providing support to LGBTQIA+
individuals.
"We believe that health care should be available to everyone and
that primary care and mental health services are critical to making
health care work for people," said Rajeev
Singh, Accolade CEO. "We are excited to collaborate with
Blue Shield of California on this
virtual-first plan designed to make care available in new and
innovative ways. Together, we aim to deliver better access,
improved health outcomes, and personalized experiences for
members."
Virtual Blue also offers 20 types of virtual specialists through
California-based TeleMed2U.
Members preferring in-person provider visits can still access
Blue Shield's Tandem PPO Network of nearly 40,000 physicians across
California. While virtual care
accessed through the Virtual Blue platform comes at no
out-of-pocket cost to the member, copay and deductible costs will
apply for in-person care and virtual care outside of the
platform.
To learn more about Virtual Blue, go
to https://www.blueshieldca.com/virtualblue. Commercial groups
interested in offering Virtual Blue for employees can visit the
product web page:
https://group.blueshieldca.com/coverage-solutions/virtual-blue/.
About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California strives
to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that
is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax-paying, nonprofit,
independent member of the Blue Shield Association with 4.7 million
members, 7,800 employees, and $22.9
billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in
Oakland, Blue Shield of
California and its affiliates
provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid, and Medicare healthcare
service plans in California. The
company has contributed $120 million
to Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to
have an impact on California
communities.
For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit
news.blueshieldca.com.
Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.
About Accolade
Accolade (Nasdaq: ACCD) provides millions of people and their
families with an exceptional healthcare experience that is
personal, data driven, and value-based to help every person live
their healthiest life. Accolade solutions combine virtual primary
care, mental health support, and expert medical opinion services
with intelligent technology and best-in-class care navigation.
Accolade's Personalized Healthcare approach puts humanity
back in healthcare by building relationships that connect people
and their families to the right care at the right time to improve
outcomes, lower costs and deliver consumer satisfaction. Accolade
consistently receives consumer satisfaction ratings of over 90%.
For more information, visit accolade.com.
About TeleMed2U
TeleMed2U is revolutionizing the way
patients access specialty care, providing real-time access to over
275+ specialist care providers across 20 Specialties. TeleMed2U's
clinical team of experts, with decades of experience, are
passionate about combining technology and quality care to offer the
best experience for the patients. With end-to-end patient care,
TeleMed2U ensures high continuity of care for recurring patients by
providing access to a single, sustained, patient care team.
TeleMed2U has developed a transformational multispecialty patient
care platform that serves businesses, PCPs, payor networks, health
systems, and employer groups, making an array of specialties
including behavioral health, endocrinology, infectious diseases and
many more readily available to the patient. TeleMed2U is dedicated
to providing quality and affordable care, visit telemed2u.com to
learn more.
CONTACT:
|
Ashleigh
Norris
|
|
Blue Shield of
California
|
|
510-607-2359
|
|
media@blueshieldca.com
|
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SOURCE Blue Shield of California