Papa and HealthTeam Advantage Join Forces to Enhance Social Support for Older Adults in North Carolina

Papa, a platform specializing in companionship and support, has teamed up with HealthTeam Advantage (HTA),...

Papa, a platform specializing in companionship and support, has teamed up with HealthTeam Advantage (HTA), the business entity of Care N’ Care Insurance Company of North Carolina, LLC. This partnership aims to provide essential social support to older adults, including those dealing with heart failure and diabetes, across North Carolina. The collaboration will enhance the level of care and personalized assistance available to members enrolled in traditional Medicare Advantage, as well as those with heart failure and diabetes participating in HealthTeam Advantage’s Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan (C-SNP).

In 2024, eligible HealthTeam Advantage members will gain access to crucial social support from Papa’s network of carefully selected companions known as Papa Pals. These Papa Pals offer assistance with various daily needs, including transportation to medical appointments, fall risk assessments, and most importantly, fostering social connections. Additionally, members will benefit from expert guidance provided by a dedicated team of social care navigators through Papa’s Social Care Navigation program. Within this comprehensive system, social care navigators assess the holistic health needs of members, deploy Papa Pals to address specific risks at home, and provide support down to the last mile, including connections to health plan and community resources.

HealthTeam Advantage, founded in 2015, has been committed to delivering reliable and accessible care to Medicare beneficiaries throughout North Carolina. This partnership with Papa reinforces HealthTeam Advantage’s dedication to providing a top-tier experience for its members, particularly those at higher risk for unmet needs and care gaps related to managing chronic conditions.

Brendan Hodges, President, and CEO of HealthTeam Advantage, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating, “This important partnership with Papa underscores HealthTeam Advantage’s commitment to providing personalized service, quality, and enhanced care experiences to our members. Together, we will ensure our Medicare Advantage and C-SNP members receive the support they need to achieve whole health—right to their front doors. We’re confident this access to a trusted Pal and team of social care navigators will result in an even better experience for our members while improving their health outcomes.”

Studies have repeatedly shown that unaddressed social needs, including loneliness and social isolation, can contribute to poor health outcomes, particularly among marginalized and at-risk populations. Data from a regional Medicare Advantage plan located in Ohio revealed that older adults enrolled in Papa who reported high levels of loneliness had higher instances of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, cognitive disorders, and depression. The data also demonstrated a 45% increase in the level of loneliness among members managing multiple comorbidities, underscoring the heightened need for social support among those with chronic conditions.

Papa Pals offer invaluable support to members in various ways, including providing transportation to grocery stores, assisting in accessing telehealth services, and simply offering a listening ear. To date, Papa Pals have completed more than 1.9 million visits with members. Since the initial rollout of Social Care Navigation in 2022, Papa Pals and Papa’s social care navigators have identified over 147,000 social needs and care gaps, successfully addressing issues such as the risk of housing instability, challenges affording groceries, and overdue health screenings.

Andrew Parker, Founder, and CEO of Papa, highlighted the increasing focus on addressing the holistic needs of individuals within healthcare, saying, “As health plans look to treat the whole person and get upstream of potential issues, they’re increasingly turning to Papa to reach their most underserved members and to continue to uncover and close the loop on social and clinical needs. We’re thrilled to partner with progressive health plans like HealthTeam Advantage as we prepare to complete 1 million visits this year—and in the process, drive positive health outcomes, reduce unnecessary healthcare utilization, and improve member retention.”

About Papa Papa is a unique care platform centered on human connection. Across the nation, health plans and employers rely on Papa to provide essential social support by matching older adults and families with Papa Pals—specially trained and vetted companions. These Papa Pals offer a helping hand and a friendly ear, reducing loneliness and promoting better health. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Miami, Papa is supported by esteemed investors, including Canaan, Tiger Global Management, Comcast Ventures, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, TCG, Initialized Capital, and Seven Seven Six, among others. Papa envisions a world where no one has to go it alone. Learn more at papa.com.

About HealthTeam Advantage Care N’ Care Insurance Company of North Carolina, LLC (CNC-NC) dba HealthTeam Advantage (HTA) is a health insurance plan established in 2015 in Greensboro, N.C. HTA offers Medicare Advantage plans to eligible Medicare beneficiaries in certain counties in North Carolina and is committed to the health and well-being of its members and communities. HTA provides medical and prescription drug benefits, dental, vision, hearing, as well as personalized customer service. Learn more at HealthTeamAdvantage.com.

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