How is coming together

Health plans that already excelled at working side by side with their provider networks were in the best position to recognize and respond to the unforeseen challenges.

Before COVID hospitalizations surged, many health plans anticipated making quick policy changes to give providers some relief.

The changes included waiving cost sharing for testing and treatment, easing guidelines for patient transfers to make room for more patients with COVID, and lifting prior-authorization requirements for acute inpatient admissions from the emergency department. This information helped our population health specialists better support primary care doctors in a constantly changing environment. When personal protective equipment was hard to get, some health plans jumped in to help.

Independence purchased and dispensed nearly , masks to healthcare workers who care for patients in underserved areas in the Philadelphia area and 45, to Medicare Advantage members. Through its foundation, Independence supported several local nonprofits focused on helping underserved communities get access to COVID testing. Notably, the pandemic caused an exponential growth in telemedicine.

Concerned that individuals might forgo necessary medical and preventive care for fear of contracting the virus, health plans such as Independence promoted the ease and convenience of telemedicine.

Consumers and doctors now rely on these digital tools as never before. In , telemedicine made up a tiny proportion — 0. It will be important for health plans to continue working closely with providers. Your Email Leave this field blank.

Skip to Content Skip to Sidebar. Pamala Wiepking, Ph. Thousands of examples exist. Norwegians have set up a platform where those recovered from the virus can be of assistance in keeping up critical societal functions. An Irish grandmother has begun reading a bedtime story on her Instagram account for not only her own grandchildren, but other children as well.

People are placing stuffed Teddy bears in windows for children to see when they go outside. An unanticipated but welcomed benefit from the bear hunts are social connections formed when elderly individuals, quarantined and unable to leave their homes, interact with younger generations who walk by and spot a bear. Across the world, neighbors sing and play music for one another, while others come together t o applaud and show appreciation for health care workers on their way to shifts.

Non-governmental organizations in Romania are helping buy COVID testing tools and medical equipment, and many associations are crowdfunding to help hospitals, the sick, and poor. The Atlantic has a beautiful overview of images of people helping all across the world.

Formal institutional philanthropy is also playing an important role in helping combat the coronavirus.