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LogistiCare recently announced it is expanding its partnership with Florida Blue, the leading health insurer in Florida, by offering special Florida Blue Medicare Advantage members assistance with transportation to the grocery store to ensure members have access to healthy food during the COVID-19 health pandemic.
As the nation’s largest manager of non-emergency medical transportation, LogistiCare manages millions of rides a year to medical appointments for seniors in Florida and across the United States. During this unprecedented crisis, the company is expanding its services and work with Florida Blue, deploying its transportation network for trips to the grocery store.
“We are redefining the way we do business so our members can gain more control over their quality of care. COVID-19 cannot shut down the lives of our members, especially our country’s most vulnerable,” said Dan Greenleaf, president and CEO of LogistiCare. “We know everyone deserves food on their table; it’s a pillar of health we cannot sacrifice.”
Food security among children and seniors is one of the most significant issues facing communities and this collaboration will help ensure more people have access to food during these challenging times.
Something that used to be so simple, like a trip to the grocery store, can now be risky for older adults who could potentially be exposed to the virus. Many seniors have no access to transportation, or are without family, friends and caretakers who might provide a ride or pick up groceries. For those who have no other way to access food, this program ensures they will not go hungry.
Having launched on April 27, 2020, Florida Blue members in select Medicare Advantage plans, who are eligible for LogistiCare medical transportation services, qualify for up to three rides a month to the grocery store in the same safe and reliable manner they have come to depend upon. LogistiCare will dispatch its certified drivers for grocery store bookings in the same manner as healthcare appointments, ensuring the most fragile and elderly members have specially-trained drivers. In addition, each vehicle will be sanitized in compliance with strict essential business guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Immediate food needs are met as opposed to delivery apps that may have a lag time of days due to high demand.
This new offering directly aligns with Florida Blue’s mission to help people and communities achieve better health, as well as Florida Blue’s priority during this public health crisis to support its members.
“Florida Blue understands our members are facing a great deal of uncertainty and need support during these unprecedented times,” said Kathy Feeny, president of Florida Blue Medicare. “This offering exemplifies how our company takes a holistic approach to health by offering solutions to fit our members’ unique needs.”
While many hospitals and doctors are treating patients with COVID-19, patients with other health challenges and chronic conditions still need care. Many patients are turning to virtual health for support via technology. In addition to taking steps to protect themselves from the risk of COVID-19, seniors need to ensure they do not feel isolated, that they are taking any regular medications, and that they monitor any ongoing medical issues. Proper nutrition is more important than ever, and this effort helps members get healthy and stay healthy, even during this period of physical distancing.
“This is a shift in our thinking that healthcare and well-being doesn’t always happen at the hospital,” said Monica Rivera MD MPH, vice president of Growth and Business Development at LogistiCare. “This is breaking the paradigm and reimagining the healthcare space because there’s a need and, frankly, it’s just the right thing to do. This partnership is exactly why I joined LogistiCare as a public health professional.”
LogistiCare is an innovative healthcare transportation company that partners with rideshare providers certified by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to facilitate 60+ million rides each year to and from healthcare-related appointments and services. This expansion, to include grocery trips, is a first of its kind for the company.
