Blue Shield Enters Telehealth Initiative
Blue Shield of California and hospital operator Adventist Health have entered into a pact for the latter to provide telehealth services to the health plan's enrollees in the furthest reaches of the state.
The agreement covers about 19,000 Blue Shield enrollees in mostly rural and sparsely populated counties in Northern California, both just north of the San Francisco Bay Area and in more far-flung regions closer to the Oregon border.
Enrollees will be able to access telehealth services at Adventist Health hospitals and medical office sites in Paradise, Clearlake, Ukiah, Willits, Fort Bragg, St. Helena, Napa and Sonora. They will have access to specialty services such as cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, pulmonology, rheumatology, orthopedics, infectious disease, nephrology, gastroenterology, general surgery and spine surgery. A medical assistant on site with the patient will interface with the specialist remotely.
Although the Roseville-based Adventist operates hospitals in many rural parts of the state, it also has facilities both Los Angeles and outlying areas. Blue Shield is funding some of the cost of the equipment, which includes high definition cameras, video screens and high-speed connections.
“Adventist Health’s telehealth program will help ensure that patients get the care they need by providing access to specialists who are currently unavailable or poorly accessible in many rural markets,” said Keith Doram, M.D., vice president of clinical effectiveness and chief medical officer, Adventist Health. “This program makes getting appropriate care more convenient.”
According to Blue Shield data, an enrollee living in Lake County would normally have at least a 45-minute drive to see an endocrinologist, which often provides specialized diabetes care. The initiative will cut the travel time down to 15 minutes.
An Adventist spokesperson noted that the system has had telehealth initiatives in place for many years, involving its facilities throughout California.
A Blue Shield spokesperson said the services will be the equivalent of a medical consult and that no actual surgical procedures will take place remotely. Adventist medical specialists from as far away as Southern California will provide the services. Enrollees will be billed at the same rate as if they were accessing specialists in-network.
“Blue Shield is proud to launch this telehealth initiative with Adventist Health in order to increase access to specialty care to our exchange members in rural parts of northern California,” said Juan Davila, executive vice president of healthcare quality and affordability at Blue Shield of California, in a statement. “This is just one more way that Blue Shield is working to fulfill its mission to provide access to high-quality, affordable healthcare across the state.”
Blue Shield officials were unable to say about how many of its 3 million enrollees qualify for access to such services.
Access to specialists in rural areas has been a thorny issue in both California and the United States. Policy experts note that many younger physicians prefer urban lifestyles over the demands of a rural practice. According to data from the American Association of Medical Colleges, 60% of California's specialists practice in only five counties – out of 58 in total.
According to data from the California Telehealth Initiative, there are 175 telehealth sites statewide, many of them at clinics in rural towns. Another 107 sites are awaiting connection.
