Removing Barriers to Advance Accessible, Affordable, High-Quality Care
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield’s (CareFirst) vision is to drive the transformation of healthcare with and for our members and communities. At the heart of this transformation is ensuring that high-quality care is easy to access and easy to afford. This means that no one who wants healthcare is unable to get it. To make progress in this mission, it is essential to understand the many barriers that prevent people from receiving high-quality healthcare. These barriers include economic strain; lack of medical leave, transportation and providers; language barriers; and distrust of the health system, among others. Issues resulting from a lack of access to care can manifest in many ways.
For example, one community member living in a health provider shortage area may experience wait times of several months to see a provider about a pressing medical issue and lack transportation to travel to another area with more providers. Another community member in an area with many providers may be unable to take their child to receive annual vaccinations because their job doesn’t provide any medical leave and they are unable to afford to take unpaid time off. CareFirst works with partners who have earned the respect and trust of their communities through tireless efforts to break down barriers to care, efforts informed by their deep understanding of the communities they serve and the issues faced therein.
How We Provided Support
In 2021, our region faced the dual challenges of the direct health impacts of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and its direct health impacts, as well as the indirect impacts of the additional barriers it placed between community members and access to healthcare. Our approach was two-pronged, focusing community investments on programs working to bring the pandemic under control and programs working to safely connect community members to essential healthcare services.
Grantee Spotlight
Sisters Together and Reaching (STAR)
CareFirst partnered with Sisters Together and Reaching (STAR) to implement Project Care, an innovative initiative providing outreach efforts in hard-to-reach communities in Baltimore City.
A dedicated team of community health workers screened nearly 700 residents for the COVID-19 vaccine and social needs. The community health workers are trusted community members with a deep understanding of the community and the needs and concerns of their neighbors. Although 660 community members were referred to community providers for social needs, the response to COVID-19 vaccine outreach reflected lingering vaccine hesitancy and distrust of the health system. This community response was anticipated by STAR, who is committed to the long-term work of building confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine and the health system.
PathForward
In the Northern Virginia area, CareFirst awarded a grant to PathForward to provide free medical care to persons experiencing homelessness through the rollout of a Medical Mobile Unit.
The mobile unit began outreach in July 2021 and made over 500 touchpoints with approximately 50 unique unhoused individuals. Persons experiencing homelessness face countless barriers to receiving healthcare. They also frequently have negative experiences with authorities and as a result are mistrustful of people that aren’t known to them. Consistent and repeated touchpoints are key to developing the trusting relationships necessary to accept healthcare and other resources. The COVID-19 pandemic led to dramatic increases in people experiencing chronic homelessness and those living unsheltered, making this type of outreach increasingly vital.
Read our complete 2021 Community Impact Report.