With the current circumstances, health systems are seeking new ways to deliver care safely to seniors--who are among their most vulnerable populations.
Medicare patient concerns
According to a survey from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, two-thirds of Medicare patients have concerns about the capacity of medical offices and outpatient therapy centers to provide care for illnesses other than COVID-19. Medicare patients are avoiding or delaying care for reasons such as the risks associated with visiting a healthcare facility, as well as just not wanting to leave the house, says the survey.
Still, seniors want (and need) to be able to see the doctors and specialists they need. Four out of five seniors thought it was important to have access to physical therapy in a survey about proposed Medicare cuts conducted for United Specialists for Patient Access. However, 69% of those polled were concerned about the lack of access to PT provided by hospitals.
Safe and convenient treatment
It’s more important now more than ever for health care systems to provide on-demand services for their Medicare population. Luna is the leader in on-demand outpatient therapy, delivering exceptional care and safe treatment to patients at home, rather than at outpatient clinics. Because outpatient therapy with Luna takes place at a patient’s home, Medicare beneficiaries can avoid the worries associated with a clinic visit, while still getting the treatment they need.
With Luna, patients can get an appointment within 48 hours of a physician’s referral, so their care is not delayed due to waitlists, patient backlogs or clinic closures due to COVID-19. Convenience and safety increases sign-up rates and patient adherence.
How Luna helps Medicare beneficiaries
Medicare covers the majority of the costs (if not all of the costs) of Luna appointments because Luna is an in-network and fully credentialed Medicare provider. During each Luna visit, the patient receives 55 minutes of dedicated 1:1 time with a licensed physical therapist. The PT can observe a patient’s home setting and suggest customized daily exercises using items on hand to help aid recovery, rather than relying on the specialized equipment that a patient might only get to use two or so times each week in the in-clinic setting.
Access to on-demand care can help patients in the Medicare population avoid more costly treatments, such as home health care, after joint replacement surgery. The average savings is $3,000 per case for surgeons participating in Medicare bundles who refer their patients to Luna.
Seniors who receive services from Luna can stay independent and remain in their homes longer, which helps prevent more expensive facility-based care and hospital readmissions. Patients who are treated with Luna recover more quickly and see greater levels of improved pain than those who receive in-clinic care.
Want to find out more about how Luna can help your health system treat Medicare patients? Connect with Luna today by calling 877-394-3996 or visit our health systems webpage.
Luna and Health Systems: Unlock the Potential of Rehabilitation Services with On-Demand Delivery
Download the full report here.
For health systems, rehabilitation services such as physical and occupational therapies offer a golden opportunity to improve the quality of patient care, patient satisfaction, and outcomes, while driving revenue, reducing costs, increasing the patient’s engagement with the system, and expanding the system’s market reach. Yet for most, it’s a lost opportunity; the majority of outpatient therapy referrals go elsewhere for care or don’t go anywhere at all. A way to capture these benefits wasn’t easy or apparent – until Luna created a turn-key approach to on-demand rehabilitation.
