Vera Whole Health Blog

Advanced Primary Care Serves All Populations

Written by Vera Whole Health | Jul 29, 2021 5:09:55 PM

Organizations must consider multiple populations whenever making a benefit decision. They are, after all, serving not only their workforce but dependents as well — and each of these groups has unique needs. Finding a single-point, primary care solution (rather than piece-mealing together multiple benefit options) only adds to the challenge.

But there is a solution. 

Read on to learn how Vera’s advanced primary care (APC) model consolidates primary care for all populations.

Seeking solutions to rising costs

Organizations want to get costs under control while serving all of their employees, at a time when annual renewal rates are climbing year over year. These escalating costs are directly tied to shrinking profit margins and significantly less employee  take-home pay.

As a result, organizations look for primary care solutions that will help them:

  • Reduce rising costs 
  • Improve employee retention and workforce productivity
  • Reduce employee absenteeism 
  • Increase recruiting by adding benefits that actually deliver

There are ample options in the marketplace, but not all options are created equal. “There are a lot of competitors out there that have focused on technology and a kind of flash consumer experience,” says Jennifer Sargent, Vera Chief Commercial Officer. “We've always focused on the clinical model and on how we deliver the right care.”

Care that’s built for everyone

Organizations need care that can serve all populations — from aging employees to young dependents. Vera’s APC model makes it possible to deliver 1:1 population health. Our approach is rooted in a firm understanding of population segments and is supported by a clear-eyed strategy for providing the most appropriate care to each group:

The polychronic population includes cancer, premature births, and Alzheimers. APC supports these patients with the highest quality care at the most affordable cost.
The at-risk population lives with underlying conditions that benefit from APC’s proactive care, personalized data (so care teams can encourage patient utilization based on their specific health needs), and an emphasis on health coaching and behavior change. 
The apparently healthy population makes up 75% of the total population but accounts for just 20% of the cost. Misunderstanding the care needs of this population can be incredibly costly. Thankfully, this population’s otherwise out-of-sight ailments can be successfully managed or prevented beginning with preventive care and screenings.

Care centers must also be ready to adapt to the needs of patients in every population. “If you're going to have a Medicare Advantage population versus a more commercial population, we’ll add care center resources like social workers,” Jennifer says. “We've been very intentional about serving diverse populations out of the same care center in a meaningful way.”

Whether it’s large exam rooms where providers and care teams can collaborate with patients to form a treatment plan, or the health coach room that’s open for a private conversation, Vera’s care centers are built for patients as a physical expression of their holistic health journey. 

APC gives organizations an advantage

Vera’s APC model not only provides care for all population groups, but it centers the experience around a primary care model that can provide 80- 90 percent of all care needs. It’s an approach that provides organizations with a single-point answer for the lingering question in the market today. 

The flexible nature of Vera’s APC model helps us work with organizations to meet their unique needs. “We're investing more in our end-to-end APC care model to save employers money on utilization impacts and care navigation,” Jennifer says. 

Caring for patients of every population requires clinical workflows and an infrastructure flexible to patient needs. Given our dedication to care for the whole person across every population group, we’ve built systems to provide effective and efficient care to Medicare Advantage patients which in turn benefit other populations as well. “I think our deep clinical experience also sets us apart,” Jennifer says. As Vera providers and care teams learn from one population, they can apply those insights to other populations in a really efficient way — and serve them all out of the same infrastructure.

An approach for today and tomorrow

From our first day caring for patients, Vera’s focus has always been on empathy and whole-person care. Improving health outcomes is only possible when providers treat not just physical needs but go further to address contributing factors such as stress, diet, and lifestyle.

While it’s certainly a challenge to provide APC that serves all populations, it’s helped us deliver better care to everyone. And, our recently announced investment partnership with CD&R will give organizations even more opportunities to flatten the cost curve while meeting the needs of their members across every population group. 

Are you an organization looking for proven answers to healthcare’s cost crunch? Learn more about advanced primary care by visiting our new guide.