Dr. Amit Prasad, chief medical officer of the UnitedHealthcare C&S Plan in Mississippi, said that as the United States approaches the heels of the coronavirus pandemic, now is high time for the industry to catch up on back-burner opportunities.
On Becker's "Payer Issues" podcast, Dr. Prasad said that customer outreach, attention to behavioral health shifts and breaking out of the "payer" label in favor of dynamic, far-reaching relationships with healthcare providers and members is what the future should hold for payers.
Below is an excerpt from the podcast. Listen to the full interview here.
Dr. Amit Prasad: Our kids have not received vaccinations at the same rate as before the pandemic. And a lot of our members have delayed or not sought care for the chronic conditions. In addition to that, either through disruptions in schools and employment, we have seen a lot of seismic shifts in the population. A lot of people are depressed, anxious and unsure of what comes next. The restrictions on movement and social activities have led to a lot of loneliness, especially in the elderly and in the vulnerable population. Many folks, as you know, have lost employment. And there has been a fraying of social networks and support structures. This has exacerbated many social determinants of health and laid bare, really, the many healthcare disparities that have always existed in the nation.
With regard to healthcare, we are in catch-up mode. The missed vaccinations that I mentioned just a little while back are just one of the many preventive interventions that have fallen by the wayside. Cancer screenings, missed wellness visits — all these add to our concerns. And we all know that prevention is best at the health plan level.