Papa and HealthTeam Advantage Partner to Bring Personalized Social Support to Tens of Thousands of Older Adults Across North Carolina

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Oct 04, 2023, 08:30 ET

Coordinated companion care from Papa Pals and social care navigators will help address unique member needs upstream, while improving member experience and satisfaction

MIAMI, Oct. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Papa, a curated platform of companionship and support, and HealthTeam Advantage (HTA), the business name of Care N' Care Insurance Company of North Carolina, LLC, today announced a partnership to bring vital social support to older adults, including those with heart failure and diabetes, throughout North Carolina. The collaboration will offer an additional layer of care and personalized support to members enrolled in traditional Medicare Advantage, as well as members with heart failure and diabetes enrolled in HealthTeam Advantage's Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan (C-SNP).

In 2024, eligible HealthTeam Advantage members will have access to critical social support from Papa's network of vetted and empathetic companions, called Papa Pals. Papa Pals support a range of day-to-day needs, such as transportation to doctor's appointments, fall risk assessments, and of course, social connection. Members will also receive expert, hands-on support from a dedicated team of social care navigators via Papa's Social Care Navigation offering. Within this closed loop system, social care navigators assess members' whole health needs and deploy Papa Pals to look for certain risks in the home and provide last-mile support, in addition to connection to health plan and/or community resources.

Since its founding in 2015, HealthTeam Advantage has worked to provide reliable, accessible care to its Medicare beneficiaries across North Carolina. This partnership with Papa reinforces HealthTeam Advantage's commitment to providing a white-glove experience for its members, including those at higher risk for unmet needs and open gaps in care related to managing a chronic condition.

"This important partnership with Papa underscores HealthTeam Advantage's commitment to providing personalized service, quality, and enhanced care experiences to our members," said Brendan Hodges, HealthTeam Advantage president and CEO. "Together, we will ensure our Medicare Advantage and C-SNP members receive the support they need to achieve whole health—right to their front doors. We're confident this access to a trusted Pal and team of social care navigators will result in an even better experience for our members, while improving their health outcomes."

It's widely known that unmet social needs, including loneliness and social isolation, contribute to poor health outcomes, particularly for marginalized and at-risk populations. According to data from a regional Medicare Advantage plan located in Ohio, older adults enrolled in Papa reporting high levels of loneliness had higher instances of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, cognitive disorders, and depression. And the data show a 45% increase in the level of loneliness for members who had a high number of comorbidities, compared to those with a lower number—indicating those managing chronic conditions have a heightened need for social support.

Papa Pals support members' social needs in countless ways—from providing rides to the grocery store to helping access telehealth services to lending a listening ear—and gain unique insights along the way. To date, Papa Pals have completed more than 1.9 million visits with members, and since Social Care Navigation's initial rollout in 2022, Papa Pals and Papa's social care navigators have uncovered more than 147,000 social needs and care gaps, resolving issues such as risk of losing housing, trouble paying for groceries, and overdue health screenings.

"As health plans look to treat the whole person and get upstream of potential issues, they're increasingly turning to Papa to reach their most underserved members and to continue to uncover and close the loop on social and clinical needs," said Andrew Parker, Papa founder and CEO. "We're thrilled to partner with progressive health plans like HealthTeam Advantage as we prepare to complete 1 million visits this year—and in the process, drive positive health outcomes, reduce unnecessary healthcare utilization, and improve member retention."

About Papa
Papa is a new kind of care, built on human connection. Across the country, health plans and employers look to Papa to provide vital social support by pairing older adults and families with Papa Pals, trained and vetted companions, who provide a helping hand and an open ear, resulting in less loneliness and better health. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Miami, Papa is backed by Canaan, Tiger Global Management, Comcast Ventures, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, TCG, Initialized Capital, and Seven Seven Six, among other revered institutional and individual investors. We envision a world where no one has to go it alone. Learn more at papa.com.

About HealthTeam Advantage
Care N' Care Insurance Company of North Carolina, LLC (CNC-NC) dba HealthTeam Advantage (HTA) is a health insurance plan founded in 2015 in Greensboro, N.C. HTA offers Medicare Advantage plans to eligible Medicare beneficiaries in certain counties in North Carolina and is committed to the health and well-being of its members and communities. HTA offers medical and prescription drug benefits, dental, vision, hearing, as well as personalized customer service. Learn more at HealthTeamAdvantage.com.

Papa Media Contact:
Jill Bongiorni Meadows
[email protected]

SOURCE Papa Inc.