Somatus and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Expand Partnership to Support Members with Chronic Kidney Disease
January 22, 2020
MCLEAN, Va. — Somatus, the market leader in providing value-based kidney services to health plans, health systems, and nephrology and primary care groups, today announced it is expanding its renal management partnership with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) to include Medicare Advantage members with stage 4 and 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD). This partnership previously only served BCBST’s Medicare Advantage members with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). The expansion offers members access to Somatus’ field-based nursing and renal care teams to help them focus on slowing or stopping disease progression and connect with the right tools and resources to better manage their health.
With the expanded program, stage 4 and 5 CKD and new ESRD members will benefit from personalized support and care plans that include nutrition and health coaching, medication management, home dialysis modality education, behavioral health, and social services. Members will also have access to purposefully designed member-facing mobile applications which include interactive education modules and transplant journey tracking.
“Our partnership with Somatus has been focused on keeping our members with kidney disease out of the hospital and doing what matters most to them,” said Dr. J.B. Sobel, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Senior Products at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. “Given the success of our first year, we have decided to expand our partnership with Somatus and look forward to broadening our offering of innovative programs to our members with chronic kidney related conditions.”
The initial program was launched in 2019 and has delivered impressive engagement rates and results for the members. Through a commitment to empower members to be as healthy as possible and help them spend more time living their lives and less time in health care facilities, Somatus has improved quality outcomes and lowered medical expenses attributed to the ESRD population.
“BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has been an incredible partner, going above and beyond to ensure their members with kidney disease are getting access to high-quality care that is inclusive of both their physical and social needs,” said Dr. Ikenna Okezie, Co-Founder and CEO of Somatus. “We are excited to expand our partnership and bring customized services to stage 4 and 5 CKD members, building on the results we’ve already delivered in 2019 with superior clinical outcomes and strong medical cost reductions.”
About Somatus
Somatus partners with leading health plans, health systems, nephrology and primary care groups to provide integrated care for patients with or at risk of developing kidney disease. As the market leader in value-based kidney care, Somatus’ vertically integrated clinical services and technology delay or prevent disease progression, improve quality and care coordination, and increase the use of home dialysis modalities and rates of kidney transplantation. The company is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, and founded by a team of world-class healthcare operators, successful entrepreneurs, and leading clinicians treating kidney disease. For more information, please visit somatus.com.
About BlueCross®
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is a taxpaying, not-for-profit health plan serving more than 3.5 million members in Tennessee and around the country. The Chattanooga-based company was founded in 1945 and is celebrating its 75th anniversary of bringing peace of mind to its members and local communities. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit the company’s news center at bcbstnews.com.
Somatus Contact
Lara Smith
AVP, Marketing and Communications
571-634-2526
[email protected]
