Upward Health and Health Plan of San Mateo Announce Agreement to Provide Home-Based Whole-Person Care to Dual Eligible Patients in California

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Upward Health and the Health Plan of San Mateo (HPSM) today announced an agreement for the provision of a wide range of home-based services to HPSM’s CareAdvantage members, which are those eligible for both Medicare and Medi-Cal. HPSM is a local, non-profit County Organized Health System in Northern California, and works to ensure over 140,000 residents of San Mateo County have access to high-quality care, services, and supports. Upward Health will serve HPSM members with complex medical, behavioral and social challenges, improving health by delivering and coordinating care directly in their homes.

Upward Health is partnering with HPSM for its HomeAdvantage Program, which was originally launched in 2016. HomeAdvantage is a home-based medical care program serving members across three tiers of service levels. The HomeAdvantage longitudinal program serves high-acuity members with regular in-home care through a multidisciplinary team and care management services to connect members to care and community resources. The HomeAdvantage OnDemand service consists of annual in-home visits, access to in-person urgent care, and phone access to healthcare. HomeAdvantage FocusCare enrolls patients in the longitudinal program for 90 days after an event such as an inpatient, ER, or hospital visit.

Under the provisions of the agreement, Upward Health will serve HPSM patients across all three HomeAdvantage service tiers. Services will be delivered in patients’ homes both on a scheduled and urgent care basis. “We are excited to have Upward Health as our new partner for the HomeAdvantage program. During a rigorous evaluation of potential network partners for this program, we were impressed by Upward’s flexibility and transparency in designing a program to serve our members,” said Amy Scribner, Population Health Officer, HPSM. “Upward Health’s commitment to collaborating with our network providers and community-based organizations in serving our members was an important consideration for us.”

“Upward Health is thrilled to work with HPSM to bring our in-home care model to its members in San Mateo County,” said Glen Moller, CEO of Upward Health. “We have been deeply impressed with HPSM’s commitment to serve the most vulnerable individuals in its community. Our services are an excellent fit for the HomeAdvantage program to deliver longitudinal care across medical, behavioral health, and social determinants of health. We have extensive experience with serving complex patients dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, including patients for whom English is not their preferred language.”

ABOUT UPWARD HEALTH

Upward Health is an in-home multidisciplinary provider that partners with health plans and other risk-bearing entities to address the unique needs of the most high-risk, high-need users of the health care system today. Using a unique, in-home community-based approach to meeting a patient’s needs, Upward Health facilitates and delivers care that improves outcomes and the quality of life for every patient it serves. Upward Health has a measured Net Promoter Score of 86, among the highest in the healthcare industry. To learn more, please visit www.upwardhealth.com.

ABOUT THE HEALTH PLAN OF SAN MATEO

The Health Plan of San Mateo (HPSM) is a local, non-profit County Organized Health System (COHS) founded in 1987. HPSM’s mission is to ensure that San Mateo County’s vulnerable and underserved residents have access to high-quality care, services and supports so they can live the healthiest lives possible. HPSM serves 1 in 5 residents in San Mateo County, California including all of the County’s Medi-Cal eligible residents, nearly 9,000 members eligible for both Medicare and Medi-Cal, as well as families, seniors, people with disabilities and children with complex medical conditions. HPSM sponsors several unique programs to address social determinants of health – from home-based health care to programs that help address social isolation and assistance finding housing.