Unique Program Helps Older Adults in Vermont and Northern New York Better Understand Benefits, Support Care Navigation, and Aims to Achieve Improved Health Outcomes
Vermont Business Magazine MVP Health Care and The University of Vermont Health Network announced a first-of-its-kind Care Guide benefit, which helps members better understand their conditions and navigate their unique health needs. This benefit is included as part of University of Vermont Health Advantage, a Medicare Advantage plan offered by a partnership between MVP and UVMHN and is a result of both organization’s work to improve the health of the communities they serve.
Care Guides, first introduced earlier this year, are assigned to each UVM Health Advantage member and function as a “personal concierge,” working with both the doctor and the health plan to improve the health care experience, manage ongoing health conditions, make sure each enrollee is making the most of their health care benefits, and assisting with overall health and well-being support.
“Oftentimes, people leave the hospital with a recovery plan from their physician, but they don’t always have the tools needed to follow that plan closely – this can include anything from healthy meals to safe bathmats – resulting in a higher risk of rehospitalization,” said UVM Health Advantage Care Guide, Didi Dalaba. “As a Care Guide, it’s my job to reach out to our members to help them understand what resources the health plan has to support them as they manage their recovery and health care journey.”
“With input from UVM Health Network physicians, UVM Health Advantage offers benefits – like personal Care Guides – that focus on the unique needs of residents in our region,” said John R. Brumsted, MD, President and CEO of The University of Vermont Health Network. “Navigating treatment and management of chronic illnesses and preventative care can be complex, especially as we age. Care Guides help make the process simpler and more personal, with the goal of leading to better outcomes.”
A Personalized Approach to Success
A UVM Health Advantage member’s journey begins with a personalized welcome call from their Care Guide to mitigate any disruptions to care, address questions or concerns they may have, while making sure they understand how the plan can best be utilized to support their health care journey. Additionally, Care Guides proactively reach out to individuals who have complex health needs and may benefit from additional support.
“When we launched UVM Health Advantage, we surveyed more than 1,100 health care consumers in Vermont and Northern New York and clearly heard that they want a simplified, more personal approach to Medicare. To meet this need, we implemented Care Guides to ensure members have someone to help them better understand and navigate the health care system.,” said MVP Health Care’s President and CEO, Chris Del Vecchio. “As partners, we are committed to continuously listening to health care consumers and working together to design innovative solutions to meet their needs.”
“I recently worked with a member who was just discharged from the hospital. He had previously lost his wife, had not been eating well and was losing weight, which wasn’t good for his post-hospital recovery,” Dalaba continued. “Upon learning about his home situation, I was able to send meals and a congestive heart failure care kit, that allowed his physician team at UVM Health Network to better track his recovery while ensuring he had access to healthy food. This type of coordination truly makes a difference in the lives of our members, and I am so proud to be a Care Guide for UVM Health Advantage.”
More information about UVM Health Advantage can be found here: www.uvmhealthadvantage.com
About MVP Health Care
MVP Health Care is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit health insurer caring for customers in New York and Vermont. Committed to the complete well-being of our customers and the communities we serve, MVP makes health insurance more convenient, more supportive, and more personal. For more information, visit www.mvphealthcare.com, or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
About The University of Vermont Health Network
The University of Vermont Health Network is an academic health system that is comprised of six affiliate hospitals, a multi-specialty medical group, and a home health agency. We serve the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives. Our partners include:
- The University of Vermont Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice
8.15.2022. Burlington, Vt. – The University of Vermont Health Network
