Leading health systems partner with consumer-focused platform for self-insured employers to expand access to patients.
December 2023- The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
The healthcare industry continues to develop and innovate to meet consumer preferences and needs. The pandemic led to wider access to virtual care services, and technology has enabled new entrants into the healthcare industry to profit.
One of those companies, Transcarent, has partnered with 10 health systems across the nation to form a virtual provider ecosystem. Transcarent is a consumer-directed healthcare platform for self-insured employers. With an ecosystem of virtual point solutions, care professionals, and local healthcare facilities, Transcarent aims to make it easier for patients to have access to healthcare right from their phone or laptop.
Employers using Transcarent as their companies’ healthcare provider receive competitive pricing previously only reserved for narrow networks. For the first time, members can access virtual care that works together with complex care services delivered locally at hospitals, according to Transcarent.
The brand connects consumers with healthcare information, allowing them to get care on demand, find in-network providers, locate prescription savings, explore care benefits, view lab results, and access educational content. Transcarent offers resources that support patients with everyday care, surgery, at-home physical therapy, comprehensive case reviews, support for oncology care, behavioral healthcare, pharmacy, and more.
Transcarent announced the National Independent Provider Ecosystem that includes health systems such as:
- Advocate Health
- Atrium Health
- Baylor Scott & White Health
- Corewell Health
- Hackensack Meridian Health
- Intermountain Healthcare
- Mass General Brigham
- Memorial Hermann Health System
- Mount Sinai Health System
- Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
“We are proud to be collaborating with Transcarent as we accelerate the innovation of care delivery models that are transforming health care,” says Ketul J. Patel, CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and president of the Pacific Northwest division of CommonSpirit Health. “This alignment expands our commitment to serving our communities by further integrating care across our continuum, in part, by pioneering a range of digital experiences that will make health care easier to navigate, more affordable and more easily accessible for patients across our region.”
Transcarent’s comprehensive care model will offer employers and their employees a personalized care experience in the virtual platform in collaboration with each health system. Consumers will also have access to expert clinical opinions, virtual physical therapy, orthopedic consultations, a pharmacy marketplace, access to immediate care quickly (or at home); and a cost effective same-day payment feature unique to Transcarent.
Payment works through a direct-to-employer system that pays providers on the same day care is delivered. Value-based incentives allow employers receive competitive pricing previously reserved only for narrow networks, while maintaining access for members. Employees benefit from waived co-pays and co-insurance for making better decisions about care.
“We are excited to partner with with Transcarent to provide employers across our region with better, more convenient access to high-quality, value-based care options for their employees,” said David L. Callender, MD, President & CEO for Memorial Hermann Health System. “We know that business leaders are a catalyst for improved outcomes in health care, and by collaborating to enhance their employees’ wellness, we can work to improve the health of our communities together.”