From The CEO

Health care must be about more than medicine. This idea is at the heart of our company’s Next Generation Model of Care. Our approach — which I believe is the future of managed care — is built around a strategy and framework that address the whole person rather than health issues alone.

Our new model of care widens the lens to help our members and their caregivers overcome barriers created by social determinants of health: the conditions where people live, work and play that can create health risks and affect outcomes. As the cover story of this debut issue of In Reach makes clear, the increasing focus on social determinants by managed care organizations and providers alike has become a paradigm shift in how we think about and deliver health care.

We need to respond to what we see every day as we walk side by side with our members. They want responsibility for their own lives. They want to work and be fully engaged with their families and communities, and they want opportunities to attain a higher quality of life. Medicaid can be a path for these individuals to achieve the American dream, a dream to which we all aspire. By providing them with a more holistic managed care program, we can help members overcome health inequities to achieve maximum independence and thrive.

But In Reach isn’t about AmeriHealth Caritas. Its goal is to spotlight important health care trends and emerging topics, including cost-effective and innovative solutions that help break down barriers to quality care. As you read the pages that follow, I hope the stories make clear that when compassion and innovation meet, a healthier future emerges and the American dream is in reach for everyone.

All the best,

Paul A. Tufano

Chairman and CEO

This article appeared in issue 1 (2019) of In Reach by AmeriHealth Caritas.