Humana Increases Home Care Capabilities Through Heal Partnership

Humana recently stated that the COVID-19 virus should spur a new global payment system that unlocks the capabilities of home-based care for a wider range of patients. That payment system would encourage a greater use of home-based care services, allow more patients to be eligible for them and increase innovation in the space.

Previously, Humana stated that it will serve as a partner in health and aging, delivering a personalized and simple experience through an integrated, value-based health ecosystem. Humana has declared home health as the new frontier in value-based medicine. The company is investing more than $100 million over the next three years to create a new team in Boston.

Humana — one of the largest Medicare Advantage (MA) players in the U.S. — operates Humana At Home and Kindred at Home. The clinical support and care provided by Humana At Home is designed to improve health outcomes and result in a higher number of days members can spend at their homes instead of in an acute care facility.

Humana committed additional investments in its home care capabilities with the acquisition of a 40% minority interest in Kindred at Home, Inc., or Kindred at Home, and Curo Health Services, or Curo, which combined creates the nation’s largest home health and hospice provider with 65% overlap with the company’s individual Medicare Advantage business. 

Humana and Heal, a market leader in transforming healthcare through in-home, comprehensive primary care, recently announced a broad strategic partnership including a $100 million investment from Humana, bringing primary care to the home through house calls and one-touch telemedicine.

Heal has pioneered 21^st century house call based primary care, delivering more than 200,000 home visits in its first five years. This type of care not only provides a more comfortable and secure environment for patient care, but also allows doctors to observe indicators such as medication bottles, fall risks, allergens, and food insecurities.

Heal telemedicine, telepsychology (CA only), and digital monitoring services round out a complete suite of services for patients in New York, New Jersey, Washington, California, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.

Under the terms of the partnership, Humana and Heal will expand its current footprint to offer value-based, primary care via virtual and in-home encounters to new geographical markets such as Chicago, Charlotte, Houston and others. The partnership will make it easier for those who are healthy and ageing into Medicare as well as those living with multiple chronic conditions to receive primary care in the comfort of their own homes

Takeaway: The partnership will make it easier for those who are healthy and ageing into Medicare as well as those living with multiple chronic conditions to receive primary care in the comfort of their own homes