Centene, Samsung to bring telehealth to underserved communities

The initiative will supply providers with Samsung Galaxy A10e smartphones to disseminate to patients who would not otherwise have the ability to receive their healthcare virtually.

mobile telehealth

Centene is working with Samsung Electronics America to expand access to telehealth for individuals living in rural and underserved communities. The initiative will supply providers with Samsung Galaxy A10e smartphones to disseminate to patients who would not otherwise have the ability to receive their healthcare virtually. Additionally, some providers will receive Samsung Galaxy tablets to use to conduct telehealth visits.

Why it matters?

It matters that more people will have access to quality care. And with this initiative, Centene and Samsung will deploy 13,000 Galaxy A10e smartphones, with 90 days of free wireless service, to approximately 200 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), other providers and community support organizations throughout Centene’s markets — with a particular focus on rural and underserved areas. The providers and organizations will then determine which of their patients need the devices and distribute them accordingly.

Centene previously announced the creation of a Medicaid Telehealth Partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) to help FQHCs quickly ramp-up their capacity to provide telehealth solutions to meet the needs created by the COVID-19 crisis.

On the record

“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,” said Michael F. Neidorff, Chairman, President and CEO of Centene. “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 Mobile B2B Business at Samsung Electronics America. “With one 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. We’re thrilled to partner with Centene on this effort to create critical healthcare access for vulnerable patients during this uncertain time.”

The context

As of mid-July, a CDC survey found that 44.4% of respondents reported delaying or not receiving care for various reasons, including concerns and challenges around COVID-19. Meanwhile, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, rural residents already exhibited higher mortality rates and higher incidences of preventable inpatient and emergency room admissions than their counterparts in urban areas.