CA Medicaid Members Gain Access to Digital Chronic Care Program

Aiming to improve treatment for patients with chronic care needs, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan added Wellvolution to its offerings for Medi-Cal members, providing them with access to digitally enabled and app-based lifestyle and mental health support.

Owned by Blue Shield of California, the Promise Health Plan organization offers Medi-Cal, Cal MediConnect, Medicare Advantage HMO, and Dual Eligible Special Needs plans. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program.

Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is offering its Medi-Cal members access to Wellvolution, a program that Blue Shield of California created in partnership with Solera Heath. Wellvolution leverages app-based programs to provide four pillars of health support: disease prevention, chronic-condition reversal, mental health support, and tobacco cessation.

Medi-Cal members can access an array of Wellvolution programs, including diabetes prevention. Approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 12-month diabetes prevention program provides those who are eligible with individual coaching, a digital weight scale, and a Fitbit. The chronic-condition reversal program provides treatment through a smartphone app for health issues like diabetes and obesity.

Wellvolution's mindfulness and mental health program leverages an app to provide support, including tools and exercises, for anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and other mental health issues. The tobacco cessation program includes nicotine replacement therapy to reduce smoking and help members manage cravings.

“Wellvolution’s lifestyle-medicine apps empower our Medi-Cal members to improve both their physical and mental health,” said James Cruz, MD, chief medical officer of Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, in a press release. “Wellvolution improves access to care, which we know helps to close healthcare gaps for our members.”

In addition to the above programs, Medi-Cal members will also gain access to Wellvolution's general fitness options, including on-demand workout videos and recipes for nutritious meals.

“Blue Shield Promise members who enroll in Wellvolution now have online access to a range of digital-care lifestyle medicine and mental health programs that are evidence-based and can make measurable improvements in their overall health and wellbeing, especially for those with chronic conditions,” said Angie Kalousek-Ebrahimi, senior director of lifestyle medicine at Blue Shield of California, in the press release. 

The use of smartphone apps to provide patients with support for chronic conditions is growing. 

Last January, the West Virginia University Health System announced plans to work with a digital health company, Virta Health, to implement a diabetes care app.

Through this app, health system employees gained the ability to communicate with clinicians and health coaches who provided custom dietary recommendations and support while also monitoring biomarkers amid the treatment process for type 2 diabetes.

Further, state health agencies are leveraging app-based care to support Medicaid beneficiaries.

Earlier this week, the state of Michigan began providing Medicaid-eligible families with access to the Philips Pregnancy + mobile application. Primarily driven by the worsening of maternal outcomes in the US, the app assists patients by providing a feed that recommends relevant content, tools, and state health department programs.

The app also provides information regarding fetal growth and personalized support through animated 3D models of the fetus.