Quil and AmeriHealth Caritas Launch First Program to Support and Empower Informal Caregivers of Medicaid Members With Disabilities and Long-Term Services and Supports Needs

AmeriHealth Caritas, a national leader in Medicaid managed care and other health care solutions for those most in need, is teaming up with Quil on a first-of-its-kind program to support and empower informal caregivers of Medicaid members, including those with disabilities and with long-term services and supports needs, at a time when many of these caregivers face unprecedented challenges and financial and emotional stress while coping with the pandemic.

Informal caregivers, unlike professional caregivers, are individuals who look after someone without being formally employed to do so. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, there are an estimated 53 million informal caregivers in the U.S.¹ Many of these caregivers spend hours each day helping family members, friends, or neighbors manage health issues, without any guidance or resources while also juggling jobs and other responsibilities.

AmeriHealth Caritas is enhancing its assistance to informal caregivers through Quil Engage, a digital health platform that offers organized and actionable information for caregivers who are supporting individuals through various stages of their health journey. Informal caregivers will receive a code to register with the platform, download an app to a smartphone or tablet, and complete a survey. Based on users' responses to the survey questions, they will receive written, video, and interactive content applicable to their needs. AmeriHealth Caritas will provide informal caregivers access to resources that can help them with managing everyday activities like eating and bathing, organizing medications and making the home safe, regardless of their level of caregiving experience or technological expertise.

"Being a caregiver, and especially an informal one, can be hard, time-consuming and lonely," said AmeriHealth Caritas Chairman and CEO Paul A. Tufano. "Caregivers are on the front-line for our members. Our goal is to be a trusted resource for our members' caregivers, one that can give them guidance, training, and compassion and, ultimately, connect what they are doing to the overall care management plan for our member. Our incorporation of Quil Engage is part of that effort."

"By providing our members' informal caregivers access to Quil's informative and engaging content, we are helping them better serve those in their care and, ultimately, helping to improve life outcomes as members journey toward maximum independence," Tufano added.

"At Quil, our mission is to help people organize and navigate their health which includes their caregivers who provide vital physical and emotional support. It's a great privilege to be teaming up with AmeriHealth Caritas to get valuable resources and tools in the hands of informal caregivers to keep everyone in their loved ones' health journey connected, empowered, and informed," said Quil CEO Carina Edwards. "We look forward to contributing to AmeriHealth Caritas' commitment to maximizing the health and well-being of their members and the caregivers who support them."

The program will launch with AmeriHealth Caritas' southeastern Pennsylvania Medicaid health plan serving Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles and individuals receiving long-term services and supports. Based on the program's results, it could be expanded to informal caregivers supporting AmeriHealth Caritas members in other markets.

About AmeriHealth Caritas

AmeriHealth Caritas is one of the nation's leaders in health care solutions for those most in need. Operating in 13 states and the District of Columbia, AmeriHealth Caritas serves approximately 5 million Medicaid, Medicare, and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) members through its integrated managed care products, pharmaceutical benefit management and specialty pharmacy services, and behavioral health services. Headquartered in Philadelphia, AmeriHealth Caritas is a mission-driven organization with more than 37 years of experience serving low-income and chronically ill populations. For more information, visit www.amerihealthcaritas.com.

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¹ Caregiving in the U.S. May 2020 Research Report. National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) and AARP.