Dive Brief:
- Anthem Blue Cross is now offering California enrollees the option of telehealth visits in Spanish using Cuidado Médico on LiveHealth Online.
- The program, launched this week, lets members connect securely with a board-certified Spanish-speaking doctor from anywhere via a smartphone or tablet.
- Adding a Spanish-language option is a smart move for the Woodland Hills, CA-based carrier, as Hispanics comprise 38.8% of California’s population, U.S. Census Bureau data show.
Dive Insight:
Doctors and patients are increasingly using telehealth to deal with nonemergency conditions, post-discharge care and prescriptions. A growing shortage of primary care physicians is also fueling the trend.
Being able to discuss health concerns in the language one’s comfortable with is key to improving care and the patient experience, Anthem Blue Cross President Brian Ternan said in a release.
According to Pew Research, the number of Hispanic Spanish speakers in the U.S. exceeded 37 million in 2013 and is expected to reach 40 million by 2020. Two other states with large Hispanic demographics are Texas (38.8%) and Florida (24.5%).