Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) Is Focus of New JAMA Dermatology Research–Promising Results Identified for TeleDermatology & Not-for-Profit Plan’s Members
(French Camp, CA) – Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) today pointed to a new study funded by the California Healthcare Foundation and published May 4, 2016 in the research journal JAMA Dermatology that found reason to hope HPSJ’s innovative investment in technology resources can help expand members’ access to quality health care, provide more convenience for busy families, and deliver timely services from increasingly scarce specialist resources.
HPSJ was the data source for this study. RAND Corporation researchers noted in their study’s abstract: “Results indicate that the introduction of teledermatology achieved the aim of increasing access to dermatologists in a large Medicaid managed care plan.”
HPSJ, a not-for-profit, managed care health plan, has been serving members and the community since 1996. Located in the heart of California’s multicultural Central Valley, HPSJ is the leading Medi-Cal Managed Care provider in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. HPSJ offers a broad network of providers and works closely with physicians to develop programs and services to ensure quality health care for over 330,000 members.
HPSJ CEO Amy Shin said that HPSJ’s Palo Alto (California)-based contractor, Direct Dermatology, allows board certified dermatologists to remotely diagnose and treat problems of the skin, hair and nails – and for HPSJ members to be referred by their PCP (primary care provider) for this service. “Increasingly popular, over 4,000 HPSJ members are now accessing Direct Dermatology,” she added.
Citing the introduction of Direct Dermatology services in 2012, Shin added, “We continue to work closely with health care providers to develop accessible programs, and customer-friendly technologies for our members. The point of all our efforts is so that HPSJ members can have expanded access, more convenience and self-care opportunities, and timely delivery of services with measurably high standards of quality.”
The RAND researchers concluded: “The offering of teledermatology appears to improve access to care among Medicaid enrollees and played an especially important role for newly enrolled patients. This particular model, and teledermatology in general, offer promise for other Medicaid plans that struggle with meeting the specialty care needs of traditional as well as new enrollees.”
HPSJ Director of Pharmacy and Clinical Analytics Johnathan Yeh, Pharm.D., said, ”The technology, online services and mobile apps – like WebMD, HPSJ’s high-security member online portal, and Direct Dermatology – all augment our provider network and expand health care and medical services for members.“
Shin said, “As the RAND study researchers pointed out, implementation of the Affordable Care Act in January 2014 brought about extraordinary membership growth for Medicaid plans (Medi-Cal in California). At HPSJ we’ve seen our membership grow by more than a third. Maintaining our network with enough health care providers will remain an ongoing challenge.”
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Resource: Journal of JAMA Dermatology – JAMA investigation, Effect of Teledermatology on Access to Dermatology Care Among Medicaid Enrollees
Media Contact:
David Hurst
Vice President, External Affairs
Health Plan of San Joaquin
Phone: 209-461-2241
dhurst@hpsj.com