Centene, Samsung Partnership Gives FQHCs More Telehealth Tools

Two tech giants are joining forces to equip federally qualified health centers with telehealth tools to help them reach underserved populations.

Centene and Samsung have announced a partnership to equip some 200 FQHCs across the country with smartphones and tablets, along with 90 days of free wireless service, to help the centers facilitate telehealth meetings with patients who have problems accessing healthcare.

"We are committed to ensuring our members, providers and communities have access to the care they need, especially during this unprecedented time when patients might not feel safe going to the doctor in person or have reliable means to get there," Michael F. Neidorff, chairman, president and CEO of St. Louis-based Centene, said in a press release. "We believe telehealth solutions will significantly improve access to care and are pleased that we can help give providers the telehealth infrastructure they need to take care of underserved communities across the nation."

"The global pandemic has prompted the rapid acceleration of digital transformation, especially in healthcare," added Taher Behbehani, general manager and head of Samsung Electronics America’s mobile B2B business. "With 1 billion telehealth visits expected to take place by the end of 2020, Samsung is committed to supporting healthcare institutions with solutions that transform the patient experience remotely and help doctors and nurses work more efficiently." 

FQHCs and Rural Health Centers (RHCs) have been on the front line of the COVID-19 crisis, seeing a surge of virus-related cases while struggling to keep their staff safe and maintain contact with patients who are staying away from regular healthcare appointments.

Both FQHCs and RHCs have traditionally been wary of adopting telehealth because of regulatory barriers and a lack of coverage, particularly from Medicare. The pandemic has prompted a string of state and federal measures expanding coverage, but those freedoms will end with the emergency.

Both the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and lawmakers have expressed interest in allowing FQHCs and RHCs to use more telehealth in the future, but it remains to be seen how that would be accomplished.

This past April, Centene announced a $5 million partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) to help FQHCs ramp up their telehealth efforts to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

"This unprecedented crisis has thrust health centers into new areas of care in a matter of weeks," Ron Yee, the NACHC’s chief medical officer, said at that time. "The health centers have converted their facilities, expanded telehealth for virtual visits to safely screen patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.  In partnership with Centene, we envision a collaboration that identifies what health centers need in terms of technology, equipment, and assistance to address COVID-19 and builds a path forward for the sustainable integration of telehealth in community health care settings."