CareSource Nevada is partnering with Blueberry Pediatrics to offer residents 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week access to online pediatric care. The partnership, announced in mid-February, is intended to expand access to high-quality pediatric care for children enrolled in Nevada Medicaid and Nevada Check-Up, with a focus on families living in the state’s rural and frontier counties.
With approximately 27% of Nevada’s rural population accessing health care through Medicaid, the partnership expands pediatric care access for thousands of CareSource members living in rural counties. Parents can connect with a board-certified pediatrician for any medical question or concern about their child at any time day or night by opening the phone app and submitting their question. A Blueberry Medical Kit, containing a digital otoscope for checking ears, a pulse oximeter, and a thermometer, enables at-home examinations. Photographs or videos are submitted along with vitals to be reviewed by a pediatrician who can then develop a treatment plan, provide prescriptions if necessary, and send a note to notify the child’s school of a medical absence.
Services Offered
Blueberry Pediatrics covers a vast array of ailments, from colds and fevers to ear infections, stomach issues, rashes and hives, bug bites, and pink eye. The company also provides general well-being services such as developmental, behavioral, social, and mental health screenings. CareSource Nevada CEO Jayme Puu remarked, “Through our partnership with Blueberry, we’re effectively extending pediatric access to Nevada frontier and rural community by bringing high-quality, convenient care to children in communities where traditional infrastructure doesn’t exist.”
Medicaid Managed Care Changes
CareSource is one of five contracted plan providers for Medicaid Managed Care in Nevada, which was expanded to rural communities as of January 1 and replaced the formerly used fee-for-service model. Nevada Medicaid and Nevada Check-Up members have a limited time remaining to switch their managed-care provider, with the 90-day switch period closing on March 31. For Nye County residents, the two approved managed-care plan providers are SilverSummit Healthplan and CareSource, each with its own specific benefits.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://pvtimes.com/news/caresource-aiming-to-keep-kids-healthy-with-24-7-virtual-care-183664/