CareSource aiming to keep kids healthy with 24/7 virtual care
Raising children is no easy task and for families in the small communities that make up rural and frontier Nevada, the challenge of child rearing is further complicated by a lack of medical care options. Understanding the scope and impact of this problem, CareSource Nevada is now teaming up with Blueberry Pediatrics to offer residents 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week access to online pediatric care, which can go a long way to ensuring youth are receiving the health care they need, when they need it.
The partnership, announced in mid-February, is intended to, “…expand access to high-quality pediatric care for children enrolled in Nevada Medicaid and Nevada Check-Up, with a focus on families living in the state’s rural and frontier counties,” according to a news release from CareSource. “With approximately 27% of Nevada’s rural population accessing health care through Medicaid, this new partnership expands pediatric care access for thousands of CareSource members living in rural counties.”
Utilizing a network of board-certified pediatricians, Blueberry Pediatrics gives parents the ability to connect with a doctor for any medical question or concern they may have about their child, at any time day or night. All members need to do is open their phone app, submit their question and complete a home exam, which is made possible by the inclusion of a Blueberry Medical Kit containing a digital otoscope for checking ears, a pulse oximeter and a thermometer. Photographs or videos are submitted along with vitals, to be reviewed by a pediatrician who can then develop a treatment plan, provide prescriptions if necessary and send a note to notify the child’s school of a medical absence.
Blueberry Pediatrics covers a vast array of ailments, from colds and fevers to ear infections, stomach issues, rashes and hives, bug bites, pink eye and much more. The company also provides general well-being services such as developmental, behavioral, social and mental health screenings.
“Through our partnership with Blueberry, we’re effectively extending pediatric access to Nevada frontier and rural community by bringing high-quality, convenient care to children in communities where traditional infrastructure doesn’t exist,” CareSource Nevada CEO Jayme Puu remarked. “Expanding access is a core promise to our members and we’re proud to help lead that transformation in Nevada.”
“Nevada represents the ultimate challenge in health care access,” Blueberry Pediatrics CEO Rich Berner added. “It shows us that if we rely only on traditional office visits, too many kids get left behind. By solving this in Nevada’s most remote communities, we aren’t just helping local families – we are proving that high-quality care is possible anywhere.”
CareSource is one of five contracted plan providers for Medicaid Managed Care in Nevada, which was expanded to rural communities as of Jan. 1 and replaced the formerly used fee-for-service model.
In October last year, members started receiving information on the change to the managed-care system, with the option of selecting which plan provider they would like. Those who did not submit their preference were assigned to a one. For Nye County residents, the two approved managed-care plan providers are SilverSummit Healthplan and CareSource, each with its own specific benefits. With CareSource’s new partnership with Blueberry Pediatrics now in place, it is undoubtedly an option residents with children will want to consider.
However, there is only a limited amount of time remaining for Nevada Medicaid and Nevada Check-Up members to make a switch in their managed-care provider, with the 90-day switch period closing on March 31.
To learn more about the change to managed-care in Nevada and the five organizations contracted to provide managed-care, as well as how to switch plans, visit Medicaid.NV.gov
For more on CareSource and Blueberry Pediatrics, visit CareSource.com and BlueberryPediatrics.com
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
