Kansas Medicaid Programs Launch Telehealth Partnership for Addiction Treatment
Medicaid managed care programs in Kansas are joining forces with CKF Addiction Treatment on a new telehealth program that works with primary care providers to screen patients for substance abuse issues and connect them with virtual care services.
A handful of Medicaid programs in Kansas are partnering with an addiction treatment company to give members access to care through telehealth.
Aetna Better Health of Kansas, Sunflower Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare are working with Salina, KS-based CKF Addiction Treatment to develop a connected health platform that can screen members through their primary care providers and access substance abuse services via virtual care.
“It’s imperative that access to addiction treatment is available when our members are ready to seek it,” William Warnes, Sunflower Health Plan’s medical director, told the Salina Journal. “We’re pleased to support CKF’s program and confident that it will make a difference for our members and other Kansans who are looking for recovery and improved health.”
The program stresses access to care through “increasing touch points,” or opportunities to connect via mHealth and telehealth platforms. CKF works with PCPS to screen patients at home, then connect them with substance abuse treatment, including outpatient, counseling and peer support services.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit substance abuse providers with a double whammy, curtailing in-person treatment at a time when substance abuse and mental health issues are skyrocketing. Many are turning to telehealth to create care plans that allow patients to access services from their homes, often on their own timetables.
They’re also using that platform to coordinate care with PCPs, who are often the first point of contact for people struggling with addiction issues.
“Increasing touch points, making it okay to talk about addiction as a healthcare need and that (for) patients struggling to go their primary care doctor, it’s okay to talk about it,” Jessica Eckels, the chief experience officer at CKF, told the newspaper. “The more we can normalize that and help as many patients as we can, that’s the goal.”
“We understand that rising rates of loneliness and social isolation take a toll on the health and wellbeing of our members, especially those who are most at-risk,” Muna Enshiwat, chief medical officer for Aetna Better Health of Kansas, told the Salina Post. “This collaboration with CKF is timely and further strengthens our member-centered model of care.”