Blue Shield of California ups stakes in retail care in new collaboration with Walgreens

Blue Protect of California is teaming up with Walgreens to provide its customers supplemental healthcare services.

The collaboration will roll out in phases, the first starting in late 2021 with expansion prepared for 2022. It focuses on affliction administration and complete-particular person care, in accordance to the announcement.

“We are thrilled to announce this collaboration with Walgreens mainly because of our shared intention to reimagine healthcare,” Peter Prolonged, government vice president of Tactic and Well being Remedies at Blue Protect of California, reported by statement. “With each other, we are transforming well being care by launching impressive, superior-touch, individualized, and holistic answers for customers and Californians with the supreme intention of supplying increased access to care that is worthy of our relatives and good friends and sustainably reasonably priced.”

In the beginning, the partnership will heart all around Walgreens’ Well being Corner services, which primarily concentrate on nourishment, illness administration and conditioning. It will give Blue Protect of California customers access to services these as blood force screenings, A1C blood assessments and mammography care coordination.

Members will be capable to consult Well being Corner advisors who can instruct on at-home well being assessments, suggest new well being and wellness items and help customers in placing up electronic well being cell applications.

What’s THE Impact?

Competitive threats from well being insurers, retail and technology firms are a increasing worry to hospitals and well being programs, in accordance to a modern Kaufman Hall report.

Retail pharmacies these as Walgreens are significantly turning out to be a a person-stop-store for consumers’ well being and wellness demands. In reality, extra than 50 % (51%) of retail pharmacy consumers say they have applied well being and wellness services at their pharmacy around the previous calendar year, in accordance to the J.D. Energy 2021 U.S. Pharmacy Research.

Walgreens was a person of numerous pharmacies to take part in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Application that has assisted in the nation’s vaccine rollout.

This calendar year, the pharmacy also offered off its wholesale pharmacy company for $six.five billion and introduced programs to open 29 new Village Health care facilities at its areas in Houston, Austin and El Paso, Texas.

THE More substantial Development

The partnership is a component of Blue Protect of California’s more substantial Well being Reimagined software that assessments, pilots and scales innovations with the intention of strengthening access to superior-high-quality care by way of collaborations.

Blue Protect of California has had a active calendar year of its very own. In January, the nonprofit well being insurance company shared it is growing the use of OODA Health’s payment system to extra than 20 supplemental Dignity Well being hospitals during California.

Then in April, it increased its Wellvolution software by incorporating two new services that present individualized care and nourishment assist for customers residing with or at danger for Kind 2 diabetes.

A lot more not long ago, the payer participated in Cricket Health’s $83.five million Series B funding round.

ON THE History

“Walgreens is energized to join forces with Blue Protect of California for this community well being hard work,” Vish Sankaran, chief innovation officer for Walgreens Boots Alliance, reported by statement.

“Blue Protect has a very long-standing historical past of transforming well being care for their customers and over and above. By leveraging our reliable retail pharmacy areas, deep healthcare working experience, and community interactions, together we are uniquely positioned to bridge gaps in care for numerous Californians to create a extra seamless and convenient purchaser working experience.”

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