SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) today announced that supportive care services from Livio Health will be expanded for the second time this year, making access available to more than 240,000 Blue Cross members across the state. The decision is part of Blue Cross' focus to improve the long-term sustainability of high quality and affordable health care.
Livio Health services support people with serious illness and are now available to all Blue Cross' Medicare Advantage and fully insured commercial members throughout the state at no additional cost to the member. This includes plans offered to individuals and families (both on and off MNsure); small employers; and many large employers.
Blue Cross first engaged Livio Health's team of nurse practitioners, medical social workers, chaplains, and nurse care coordinators in June 2019 to deliver patient-centered, in-home care at no cost to around 50,000 Medicare Advantage members living in the Twin Cities metro area. Strong member satisfaction rates and quality metrics drove the decision to expand access to additional member populations twice so far this year.
"Livio care teams are able to provide exactly the kind of support our members need while managing a stressful and complex serious illness," said Dr. Craig Samitt, president and CEO at Blue Cross. "The fact that nine in 10 Livio patients understand they can call Livio at any time of day or night can help reduce unnecessary emergency rooms visits is critically important. Our high-risk members need to minimize exposure risk to all viruses, especially COVID-19, whenever possible."
The services Livio provides to Blue Cross members include 24/7 medical support for urgent needs, emotional support, pain management, caregiver support, advance care planning and more. The option to receive these supportive care services from the comfort and safety of home is of special significance for those with mobility issues or who are immunocompromised. Livio has increased options for patients to safely connect with their care team by offering easy-to-connect video visits and frequent phone check-ins when requested. By extending their technology capabilities, Livio can reach more Blue Cross members throughout the state.
"The partnership between Blue Cross and Livio is rooted in a shared vision to reimagine and reinvent health care to be more effective and affordable," said Dr. Bennett Clark, chief medical officer at Livio Health. "Our successes over the past year have allowed us to expand to additional populations and further sharpen our organization's strategic focus on quality patient outcomes through our supportive care services."
Livio's care model is focused on tailoring care to what is important to members, which helps relieve some of the burden that comes with serious illness. Blue Cross and Livio know that providing care should not be one-size-fits-all. Livio aligns their support to members' values to help keep them out of the hospital and focused on more good days. Through building strong relationships, Livio's care teams guide their patients in conversations about what they want their future health care to look like, as well as provide services that extend past their typical treatment plan.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A nonprofit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.9 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® of Minnesota and Blue Plus® is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago.
About Livio Health
Livio Health provides supportive medical care for people with serious illness through in-home, phone and video visits. Livio's care teams work alongside specialists and primary care teams to provide care tailored to patients' values and aspirations. Livio gives patients access to 24/7 medical support and a team of experts, including physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, chaplains, and nurses. At Livio, we help patients and families focus on more good days.