Improve Outcomes in a Difficult-to-Engage Population of Costly and Vulnerable Members
Christine Reiten
Vice president of Medicaid at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
“Being a caregiver can be a deeply rewarding experience, but one that comes with many emotional challenges and gaps in knowledge. When a caregiver receives the kind of support and education available through Ceresti, they feel less isolated and more confident on how to best meet the changing needs of their loved one.”
Virtual Care Enabled by Engaging Family Caregivers
Members with cognitive impairment (e.g., dementia, stroke, Parkinson’s) likely rely on a family caregiver (e.g., spouses, adult children or other family members) to help manage their overall health, including their associated chronic conditions and social determinants of health.
Our telehealth programs are purpose-built to deliver effective virtual care by engaging family caregivers of Members with cognitive impairment.
Increase Caregiver Self-Efficacy
Our programs teach, empower and support family caregivers to be more proactive and effective in managing the care of a loved one (Member) with cognitive impairment.
Reduce Potentially Preventable Member Hospitalizations
We train and support family caregivers to detect the signs and symptoms of emerging health issues in the Member, and engage them in remote risk assessments (informed by predictive analytics) to monitor the Member’s health.
Ceresti coaches manage or refer actionable alerts to prevent the need for an emergency department visit or a hospitalization.
Example of risk assessment displayed on Ceresti Caregiver app
Accessible From Anywhere, By Anyone
Our telehealth programs can be accessed on any mobile device via the Ceresti Caregiver app, or from a web browser via the Ceresti Caregiver Portal. For caregivers who are not comfortable using modern technology solutions we send a dedicated, senior-friendly, cell-enabled Ceresti tablet (no wifi required) to the caregiver’s home.
Authorized family members can download the Ceresti Connect app to access education, upload photos to the primary caregiver’s mobile device, or message the primary caregiver. Ceresti coaches utilize our internally-developed Family Management software to support and empower multiple caregiver/Member dyads and their family members.
Personalized and Comprehensive
Our programs are tailored to the needs of every caregiver/Member dyad and are comprehensive in scope, which enables us to achieve meaningful cost and quality outcomes. Our content, coaching and support are focused on the four pillars detailed below:
- Medical: managing chronic conditions, accessing care, care coordination, long term-care planning, etc.
- Psychosocial: addressing social determinants of health, best practices for communicating with someone with cognitive impairment, engaging Members with evidence-based digital therapies, addressing behavioral challenges, managing family dynamics, engaging in caregiver self-care, etc.
- Friends and Family: increasing family connectedness, integrating family into the care team, etc.
- Community: accessing community-bases resources, etc.
Personalized, Scalable and Effective
Our HIPAA-compliant telehealth caregiver support program can be deployed and configured as a supplemental benefit or as a care management program, starting with dementia.
Multiple Benefits
Our programs deliver multiple benefits for Medicare Advantage Plans, Members and their caregivers.
Predictive Risk Assessments Enable Better Outcomes
We use claims and other data sources to risk-stratify Members based on their likelihood of an emergency department visit or a hospitalization. We predict the most likely underlying causes (e.g., dehydration, hypertension, medication side effect) for such an acute event (e.g., fall, stroke, infection) and use this information to drive Member-specific risk assessments that are specifically aimed at identifying the early warning signs of issues that could lead to a preventable hospitalization. In parallel, we train the family caregiver to look for specific signs and symptoms in the Member, which may include asking the caregiver to report specific biometrics (e.g., blood pressure, weight, etc.).
The ability to secure multiple risk assessments every week about Members, via their caregivers, is enabled by high levels of caregiver engagement (45 minutes per week) that we achieve using a combination of education, support and remote coaching.
Leave Enrollment to Us
Health plans don’t always know who the family caregivers are for their Members.
Ceresti can take the lead in driving caregiver/Member enrollment. We use a multi-dimensional approach that includes direct-to-Member outreach, outreach to caregivers, referrals, and, if available, targeting using claims data. We have established proven processes for obtaining Member (or proxy) consent, and gaining acceptance of program terms and conditions from the family caregiver.
Flexible Deployment Options
Out modular technology-based approach supports a variety of deployment options. Ceresti can manage the teleheath programs independently; or alternatively, we can support and train health plans and providers on how to integrate our technology and content into their existing care management capabilities.
Our Program is Guaranteed to Pay for Itself
We are so confident that more empowered family caregivers will improve cost and quality outcomes for Members, that we are prepared to guarantee that our telehealth program will pay for itself via healthcare cost savings. We will use claims data to track and demonstrate cost savings versus an appropriately matched comparison group in accordance with a mutually agreed analysis methodology.
Easy to File
Filing the Ceresti Caregiver Support program as a supplemental benefit in your annual CMS bid is straightforward. Our team can provide you with guidance and support as needed.