Today’s seniors may be too young to remember when doctors routinely made house calls, but they may benefit from a revival. Cigna Healthcare has partnered with Alegis Care to offer home visits to Medicare Advantage customers living with multiple chronic health conditions. The program launched in July in and around Baltimore, Maryland, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the intention to roll it out more widely in the coming months.

The new program addresses common barriers to care faced by older Americans, especially those affected adversely by social determinants of health (SDOH) factors, such as people with chronic conditions, home-bound seniors, and those with transportation issues.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 60% of older Americans have at least two chronic conditions (and 85% have at least one). The National Council on Aging has compiled a list of the most common conditions diagnosed in adults 65 and older, ranging from hypertension (58%) and high cholesterol (47%) to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia (11%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (also 11%).

New Service Sends Care Teams to Customers’ Homes

“With this new service, patients who have difficulty visiting their doctor’s office can be seen in their homes by their own primary care doctors,” said Dr. Joseph B. “J.B.” Sobel, chief medical officer for Cigna Healthcare's Medicare businesses, which serve hundreds of thousands of seniors across the United States. If the patient prefers, visits also can be conducted virtually over the computer or over the phone.

Their care team – led by their own physician – will coordinate with the patient’s current doctors and can help patients manage anything from a common cold to a complex chronic condition. “In addition to physicians, nurse practitioners and social workers will make home visits to support our most vulnerable patients,” Dr. Sobel said. The team also has experts in place to help people who are experiencing behavioral health issues, such as anxiety and depression, and can offer tools and resources for the patient’s caregivers.

The care team includes pharmacists, clinical care coordinators, and patient care coordinators as well, along with provider liaisons. Providers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Urgent and on-demand visits are included, as are same-day visits in the home or virtually. For those nearing the end of their lives, palliative care and transition to hospice care are provided.

Better Health at a Lower Cost

These in-home visits are offered at no additional cost to Cigna Healthcare Medicare Advantage customers. Patients also benefit because regular preventative care – as the name implies – can prevent health issues from developing or advancing. Identifying existing health issues at an early stage enables treatment to start quickly, optimizing outcomes.

According to the CDC, the cost of treating chronic diseases in the U.S exceeds $1 trillion annually. By intervening before the disease progresses or treating it at an early stage, disease progression can be slowed or stopped – enhancing health and reducing or eliminating the need for additional medical treatment.

“Our aim is to bring better health to people in a way that also keeps them engaged in their health while helping them battle loneliness and social isolation,” Dr. Sobel said. “Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen a growing national interest and emphasis on care delivery in the home. This new program is intended to meet that need.”