Aetna and Univita Health have teamed up to offer patients discharged from select hospitals in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston a transitional care program.
The program targets patients who are eligible for Medicare Advantage. It’s designed to help them make a smooth transition from a hospital or skilled nursing facility to their home, and to help prevent avoidable hospital readmissions.
Upon admission to a participating hospital, one of Univita’s specially trained nurses will reach out to the patient and his or her caregiver. The nurse will help determine the type of support patients will need once they return home.
“Aetna is focused on offering programs and services that help lead to better health outcomes through collaborative care coordination,” says Dr. Randall Krakauer, national Medicare medical director for the health benefits company.
“We already offer our Medicare Advantage members a number of care management programs to help improve the quality of care and reduce health care costs,” Krakauer adds. ”The new transitional care program will help Medicare Advantage members who are treated in a hospital receive coordinated home-based care as they complete their recovery.”
Once patients return home, Univita nurses can:
• Assess their living conditions;
• Educate them and their caregivers on their discharge plan;
• Describe how they can take their medications properly;
• Explain the signs and symptoms that may necessitate a call to the doctor, as well as the importance of having follow-up physician visits.
“The coordinated home-based care offered in Univita’s Bridges transitional care program has proven to be a valuable element in ensuring a patient’s full recovery,” says John Mach, president of Univita’s complex case management division.
Aetna (NYSE: AET) is a health-benefits company.