What You Should Know:
- Pair Team, a virtual and community-based primary care solution connecting Medicaid’s highest-risk patients to high-quality care, today announced its expansion into seven new California markets: Fresno, Merced, Monterey, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus counties.
- This move enables the company to further improve access to California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) care benefits by reaching a larger number of patients, providers and community health partners.
Pair Team Expansion to Improve Accessibility to Healthcare by Reaching a Larger Demographic
CalAIM represents a lasting commitment from The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to overhaul the state’s Medicaid health care program, Medi-Cal, making it more fair, organized, and centered around individuals. Despite the positive impact of the initiative on enhancing care accessibility, primary care providers (PCPs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) face challenges participating in the new care model due to insufficient funding and essential resources.
In response to these challenges, Pair Team has focused on seven new markets, addressing their specific needs for increased access to CalAIM programs. For instance, Los Angeles County, with its 2.7 million Medi-Cal members, includes some of the most high-needs individuals across the nation. Moreover, Central Valley counties in California consistently grapple with systemic access issues for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, especially concerning the availability of primary care physicians.
Pair Team actively breaks down barriers to care by collaborating with local clinics, shelters, food pantries, and other CBOs. Through a comprehensive artificial intelligence-driven platform, the team delivers services such as virtual urgent care, medication management, grocery delivery, and housing navigation, catering to the complex needs of their patients. Acting as an extension of safety-net organizations, Pair Team provides a multi-disciplinary care team comprising community health workers, behavioral health specialists, and nurses. Empowering their partners with essential tools, Pair Team facilitates increased access to high-quality care for a broader range of patients.
“Over 13 million Californians — one in three — rely on Medi-Cal for their health care coverage. However, many face barriers in receiving care including lack of transportation, housing and mobile phone access,” said Neil Batlivala, CEO and co-founder of Pair Team. “Health care is a basic right for every American and shouldn’t be more difficult to access for any one person. It’s our mission to bridge the care access gap, and this expansion enables us to do so for more Californians. We’re excited to continue bringing care to those who need it most alongside our innovative partners in these communities.”
