Self-funded employer health plan Centivo is announcing Centivo Care, a tech-forward virtual primary care platform integrated with behavioral health specialists.
Centivo’s virtual offerings, which will be available in states where the company operates, are increasingly desired by its clients’ members, said Wayne Jenkins, M.D., chief medical officer for Centivo and president of Centivo Care, in an interview with Fierce Healthcare.
He said at first, just 5% to 10% of people preferred the virtual option, but now it’s closer to 20%. For some employers, they see an even higher adoption rate. One of its clients, JetBlue Airlines, sees high utilization since their employees travel so often and can more easily text with a physician or schedule a video call than attend an appointment in person.
Centivo Care is one of few primary care practices to earn a Patient-Centered Medical Home accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the company said in a news release. These virtual appointments are free, and members receive personalized care plans, after-visit summaries, preventive care reminders and more.
What started as a small pilot program in Orlando, Florida, several years ago when members sought out virtual accommodations following COVID-19, began expanding.
Then, in May, Centivo acquired Eden Health, a virtual-first provider of primary care, mental health and navigation services through a mobile app. That acquisition accelerated plans to offer its current virtual care offerings. Centivo merged Eden Health’s technologies and teams together into Centivo Care, allowing members to schedule appointments in half an hour.
Centivo’s care team will monitor a person’s messages, prioritize and escalate urgent concerns and foster collaboration between physicians, clinicians and specialists to determine the best course of action.
“So it’s very much around management of that type of communication,” said Jenkins.
The goal of the app is to be more intuitive and helpful for members. User-submitted questions receive a response within an hour, said Jenkins. Some members want to use virtual primary care for checkups, while others that need more care, such as people with a physical disability, can take advantage of the platform’s ability to connect users with referrals. That allows those members to limit in-person visits, which can be taxing.
Some patients need weekly in-person visits for conditions like congestive heart failure, so those members are not suited for virtual care, said Jenkins.
Centivo Care partners with health systems, referring members for in-person appointments as required for physicals or surgeries.
It also partners with RubiconMD for members needing care from specialists like cardiologists and Neura Health for individuals suffering from migraines, concussions or other neurological issues.
In September, the company raised $75 million through an equity and debt financing round from Cone Health Ventures, Memorial Care Innovation Fund and other investors. It then appointed Jim McNary as president and chief operating officer last week.