Medicare AdvantageOctober 1, 2019
Aspire Telehealth Palliative Care program
Aspire Health* for Medicare members in need of telephonic palliative care
The Aspire Telehealth Palliative Care program provides an additional layer of telephonic support to patients facing a serious illness. The program is focused on:
- Helping patients understand their diagnosis.
- Facilitating conversations with patients and their families around their goals of care.
- Ensuring patients receive care aligned with their goals and values.
The program begins with an initial 30 to 60 minute telephonic assessment by a specially trained Aspire Health social worker. The conversation in this initial call focuses on building rapport and completing a comprehensive assessment. This assessment includes understanding the patient's perception of their illness and current treatment plan. Follow-up calls occur every 2 to 4 weeks, typically lasting 15 to 45 minutes, with the exact frequency based on a patient's individual need. Aspire Health's social workers are supported by a full interdisciplinary team of board-certified palliative care physicians, nurses, and chaplains who provide additional telephonic support to patients and their families as needed. Patients enrolled in the telehealth program have access to 24/7 on-call support. The average patient is enrolled in the program for 6 to 8 months with some of the key goals being the ability for patients to teach-back their current medical situation, articulate their health and quality-of-life goals, and establish a future care plan through either the completion of advanced care planning documents and/or a transition to hospice when appropriate.
More information is available at aspirehealthcare.com or by calling the 24/7 Patient & Referral Hotline at 844-232-0500.
* Aspire Health is an independent company providing telephonic palliative care on behalf of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
PUBLICATIONS: October 2019 Provider News
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