Centivo launches integrated virtual advanced primary care offering

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Nov 08, 2021, 09:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Centivo, a new type of health plan for self-funded employers anchored around leading providers of value-based care, announced today from the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions ("National Alliance") Annual Forum in Washington D.C. the launch of its integrated virtual advanced primary care (VPC) offering. Centivo VPC is fully integrated into the core Centivo health plan in partnership with local providers.

Unlike traditional telemedicine, which is used in place of, or to supplement, a relationship with a primary care physician, Centivo VPC allows members to regularly see the same primary care physician in a virtual setting. Centivo VPC physicians work in advanced primary care teams including mental health specialists, care navigators, and other healthcare professionals. Centivo VPC patients easily communicate with their primary care physician in real-time through a convenient mobile app. When patients need care outside of their VPC team, Centivo VPC providers use advanced data and analytics to refer them to local, high-value specialists in Centivo's curated networks.

Launching VPC is an important addition to Centivo's core health plan since Centivo connects every member with an in-network advanced primary care physician to improve coverage and lower costs. Centivo members can choose either a local primary care physician or a Centivo VPC doctor.

"Traditional telemedicine solutions are built to sit outside the health insurance plan versus being connected to it," said Dr. Wayne Jenkins, chief medical officer, Centivo. "Centivo VPC is purposefully designed to fully integrate into the Centivo health plan and its foundational belief in advanced primary care via leading local providers. This seamless collaboration creates a completely different experience for the plan member and is a much better way to manage and direct care within Centivo's curated high-value networks."

Centivo VPC comes at a time of unprecedented opportunity for, and acceptance of, virtual care in today's healthcare ecosystem, primarily driven by COVID-19 and the related restrictions on in-office visits. In fact, 46% of patients now say they use telehealth for some visits, compared to 11% in 2019.¹ In addition, the number of patients reporting at least one telehealth visit has increased by 57% since the start of the pandemic, while patients with chronic illnesses report a 77% increase in the use of telehealth.²This increased usage has enormous cost, access and quality of care implications, given that virtual primary care is 95% as effective as traditional primary care at less than half the cost.³

Centivo VPC is currently offered to client employers and their employees in Florida, with expansion into other Centivo markets⁴ through the first half of 2022. Results from a pilot VPC program with a Centivo client in Florida demonstrated strong member engagement with both existing and newly enrolled employees.

"The launch of Centivo VPC reaffirms our mission and model to make advanced primary care the key to reestablishing affordability for the average American worker struggling to pay healthcare bills," said Ashok Subramanian, CEO, Centivo. "According to a 2019 JAMA study, one in four Americans do not have a primary care physician, and the problem is even worse among younger people. Yet all the research points to the many positive care outcomes and cost benefits of strong primary care relationships. Our goal with Centivo VPC therefore is to add virtual care to our already successful advanced primary care model."

To learn more, please visit centivo.com/contact.

Centivo VPC clinical services are delivered through independent professional entities.

About Centivo

Centivo is a new type of health plan anchored around leading providers of value-based care. Centivo saves self-funded employers 15 percent or more compared to traditional insurance carriers and is easy to use for employers and employees. Our mission is to bring affordable, high-quality healthcare to the millions of working Americans who struggle to pay their healthcare bills. With Centivo, employers can offer their employees affordable and predictable costs, a high-tech member experience, exceptional service, and a range of benefit options including both proprietary primary care-centered ACO models as well as traditional networks. For more information, visit centivo.com or follow us @Centivo on LinkedIn or @CentivoHealth on Twitter.

1 https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/telehealth-a-quarter-trillion-dollar-post-covid-19-reality

² https://c8y.doxcdn.com/image/upload/Press Blog/Research Reports/2020-state-telemedicine-report.pdf

³ https://blog.jayparkinsonmd.com/2017/10/11/virtual-primary-care-is-95-as-effective-as-a-traditional-pcp-at-less-than-half-the-cost/

⁴ Besides Florida, Centivo has a market presence in Metro New York, Southern California, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina and Michigan.

Media Contact:
Bruce Lee (for Centivo)
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 203-895-2214

SOURCE Centivo