Doctors Returning To Practice Of House Calls ; Free Program, Which Highmark Doesn't Publicize, Is Available By Invitation Only
Since 2011,
This month, the insurer is going to expand the program to younger people who bought plans offered on the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
"Members really, really appreciate it," said
The free program, which Highmark doesn't publicize, is by invitation only. It is offered to people identified by data analytics as likely to suffer from undocumented chronic conditions or be disengaged from the health care system.
It's administered by vendors Highmark contracts with: Matrix Medical Network, CenseoHealth and
A similar program offered by Aetna is also administered by Matrix, according to a company spokeswoman. And Capital BlueCross has an equivalent program called
The visits take about an hour, with the physician or nurse practitioner assessing the members' physical health and living environment.
Dr.
For example, he said, one patient came in from her porch smelling like cigarette smoke. When he asked why, "She replied that she still smoked 'a few' cigarettes daily.
"At her office visits, she always denied smoking," Bowers said.
The biggest hurdle the program faces, Lightner said, is convincing members that an insurance company sending a doctor to their home for a free visit is not a scam.
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