Empire BlueCross BlueShield Partners with On-Demand Healthcare Service Ready to Provide New York City Residents Medical Care in Their Homes

On-demand healthcare service Ready is now offering at-home healthcare services to Empire BlueCross BlueShield members located in New York City. Empire, which has been serving New Yorkers for nearly 90 years, is the first major New York insurer to implement Ready's services.

Ready is on a mission to bring healthcare to patients when and where they need it, and Empire is on a mission to improve the health of all New Yorkers. These two companies are coming together to make progress against these goals by offering members new, innovative ways to access high-quality care at the right place, right time and for an affordable price.

Ready offers on-demand healthcare services at home, including same-day visits. Ready's Responders, who typically have backgrounds as EMTs and Paramedics, provide in-person care and COVID-19 testing. Ready Responders are supported through a telehealth connection to doctors and nurse practitioners, who provide a full range of non-emergency clinical services and treatment plans.

"Ready is excited to partner with Empire BlueCross BlueShield and to unlock convenient, on-demand healthcare by bringing it to New York City residents when and where they need it," said Jeremy Corbett, EVP of Business Development Strategy & Partnerships at Ready. "This strategic partnership aligns with our mission of revolutionizing the way people receive care and making it more accessible to all."

"At a time when the need for convenient, safe, quality and affordable care is more important than ever, it's important for us to put the consumer at the center of our business decisions," said Jordan Vidor, RVP, Provider Solutions and Network Strategy, Empire BlueCross BlueShield. "We are on a mission to improve the health of New Yorkers, and as part of that we're always looking for partners that we can work with to pilot innovative, consumer-centric programs. Our new relationship with Ready will help us make it easier for New Yorkers to find and access care from home if and when they need it."

Ready In-Network with Empire BlueCross BlueShield

Ready's unique care team is now in-network for Empire commercial, Medicaid and Medicare members. For more information, visit Ready Responders at https://www.getready.com/ or call (646) 692-0052. The services are available in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, plus parts of Lower Westchester and Nassau County in Long Island.

Ready is prepared to treat a full range of medical issues including cold and flu symptoms; ear, nose and throat issues; skin issues; urinary problems; joint pain; back pain and gastrointestinal issues. Ready provides urgent care and at-home COVID-19 assessments and rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 related issues.

About Ready

Ready is an on-demand health service that delivers care to its patients in their homes or communities. Ready accomplishes this with a team of highly trained health professionals which we call Responders. During each visit, a Responder provides in-person care. A Responder can also connect the patient to a doctor or nurse practitioner who provides treatment using video conferencing. Ready is a convenient, fast, and affordable solution that reduces overall health costs and delivers more positive outcomes. Investors include GV, Deerfield Management Company, City Light Capital, Town Hall Ventures, and Frist Cressey Ventures, among others. Ready won Rock Health's 2021 Digital Health Award for Most Devoted to Promoting Health Equity.

Ready currently serves patients in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, Reno, Las Vegas, Nevada, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Houma, Louisiana.

To learn more about Ready, testing, and how the company is responding to COVID-19, visit www.getready.com, follow Ready on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook or call (646) 692-0052.

About Empire BlueCross BlueShield

Serving New Yorkers for more than 85 years, Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) is on a mission to materially and measurably improve the health of New Yorkers. Empire is the largest health insurer in New York supporting more than four million members and more than 38,000 business, union and small employers in New York. Empire is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Inc., and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc., independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, serving residents and businesses in the 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York State. Additional information about Empire is available at www.empireblue.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at @empirebcbs and on LinkedIn.