Behind the Curtain: CareFirst Community Health Plan Maryland and Scene Health
Medication adherence is an essential factor in chronic disease management and recovery. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, medication nonadherence can lead to increased hospital and emergency room admissions, which increases healthcare costs with essential, but costly, medical care. They found that 100–300 billion U.S. healthcare dollars are spent annually on the costs associated with medication nonadherence and its effects.
As one of the largest not-for-profit healthcare organizations in the country, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) looks for ways to reduce the overall cost of care and improve patient outcomes. Medication adherence is a fundamental way to advance this mission.
That’s why CareFirst partnered with Scene Health, a Baltimore-based medication engagement company, to provide CareFirst Community Health Plan Maryland (CHPMD) members access to resources, coaching and video engagement for chronic conditions such as asthma, hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes.
Mike Rapach, President and CEO of CareFirst CHPMD, joined Scene Health Co-Founder and CEO Sebastian Seiguer to discuss a variety of topics, including CareFirst CHPMD’s partnership with Scene Health, the importance of medication adherence, the evolution of the Medicare and Medicaid landscape and more.
“If we can do anything to keep people with chronic conditions from those becoming acute conditions, then that’s really a great thing. That takes education, that takes time, that takes patience, that takes understanding and empathy. It’s all a complex thing, but it’s slowing down enough to understand the person.”
Mike Rapach, President and CEO, CareFirst CHPMD
