Humana and well being tech firm DUOS have launched a brand new program to assist veteran seniors with continual circumstances in Louisiana, the businesses introduced Wednesday.
Humana serves about 6 million energetic obligation navy and retirees throughout the nation. Minneapolis, Minnesota-based DUOS is a digital well being firm that connects Medicare beneficiaries with social determinants of well being and care navigation assist by way of Medicare advantages, group assets and authorities applications.
By means of the brand new program, which is able to run till the tip of 2024, veterans with continual circumstances (who’re members of Humana’s Medicare Benefit plans in Louisiana) will likely be related with DUOS. They’ll begin by finishing a well being evaluation that determines their health-related social wants. They’ll then be related to advantages and assets they’ve by way of their MA plan or Veterans’ advantages.
DUOS has supplied assist to veterans up to now by way of “varied applications we’ve with Medicare Benefit well being plans,” mentioned Karl Ulfers, co-founder and CEO of DUOS, in an electronic mail. However he mentioned what’s “distinctive” about this program with Humana is that it’s particularly constructed for veterans.
“Not all Veterans are the identical and based mostly on their distinctive experiences, their care and useful resource wants fluctuate from psychological to behavioral and our resolution helps people navigate that ecosystem and get the appropriate care,” Ulfers mentioned.
USAA, a associate of Humana, skilled DUOS private assistants earlier than this system started to “guarantee a complete understanding of navy and Veteran tradition,” in accordance with a information launch. The group offers insurance coverage, banking, funding and retirement providers to greater than 13 million individuals within the navy, veterans and their households.
Humana has labored with DUOS on prior applications for different populations and “noticed optimistic leads to member activation and engagement, wants addressed, and satisfaction with this system,” mentioned Emily McGrath, director of well being fairness technique at Humana. Due to this, the insurer selected to associate with DUOS for its veteran program.
There’s a want amongst its veteran members, McGrath added. Its veteran beneficiaries typically face limitations like monetary pressure, loneliness, meals insecurity, transportation and housing insecurity. Nationwide knowledge reveals that veterans are twice as doubtless to turn into chronically homeless than non-veterans, and 5 million veterans reside with a incapacity. As well as, one in 5 of the households supported by Feeding America have a member of the family who served within the navy.
By means of the partnership with DUOS, Humana’s aim is to take away limitations to care and enhance well being outcomes, McGrath mentioned.
“Layering in continual sickness, Veteran standing, Veterans Affairs advantages, Medicare advantages, social well being limitations, and the ‘sea of goodwill’ could make it much more difficult for Veterans to know the place to start out,” she mentioned. “With this program, DUOS is tailoring providers to veterans with continual circumstances to handle their distinctive growing old wants and eradicating limitations to care.”
McGrath additionally mentioned that Humana will consider this system on the finish of the 12 months to find out if it ought to broaden into different markets. Ulfers added that DUOS hopes to scale this system to veterans nationwide.
“With a major variety of Veteran seniors grappling with continual circumstances, the demand for care and options to fulfill their wants is extra essential than ever. Our main aim is to make sure that each Veteran, no matter location, has entry to the customized care and assist they deserve,” he mentioned.
Photograph: mstahlphoto, Getty Pictures