New pelvic health program for eligible fully-insured commercial members

In this issue:

• New pelvic health program for eligible fully-insured commercial members
• Home Hospital patients get inpatient care where they are most comfortable—in their homes

• Staying safe in a digital world

• Mass General Brigham Health Plan in the community
• Newsletter feedback survey
• Toolkit: Share these resources with your clients

New pelvic health program for eligible fully-insured commercial members

Mass General Brigham Health Plan is excited to introduce a new, personalized pelvic health offering that enriches our women's health portfolio. This innovative program improves coverage of pelvic health services and also provides enhanced support for underrepresented areas of women's healthcare.

“Our commitment to women’s health reflects our legacy of going beyond traditional coverage to support whole-person care and builds on the excellence of women’s health initiatives in Massachusetts,” said Steven Tringale, President, Mass General Brigham Health Plan. “As part of an integrated healthcare system, we can bring a comprehensive focus to meet a wide variety of health needs for our members.”

The new pelvic health initiative will be available to fully-insured commercial members in September 2024. Read the full press release and learn more about the program on our women's health portfolio page.

Home Hospital patients get inpatient care where they are most comfortable—in their homes

There’s an old saying among doctors about patients recovering in hospitals, “The longer you stay, the longer you stay.”

Since 2016, Mass General Brigham’s Home Hospital has tackled this challenge with a set of innovations that bring acute inpatient care to the home, where the patient is most comfortable.

The success of the Mass General Brigham Home Hospital, one of the oldest and most established in the nation, is supported by research done by David Levine, MD, MPH, clinical director of research and development for Mass General Brigham Healthcare at Home, associate professor at Harvard Medical School, and a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Levine’s research, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in January 2024, documents over 5,000 patients treated in hospital at home programs across the country. The results of his study reveal favorable outcomes.¹

On average, Home Hospital patients need less physical therapy, use less skilled nursing rehabilitation, report greater patient satisfaction, have an easier transition to life after discharge, and have better clinical outcomes. Read more.

Staying safe in a digital world

As we approach Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October, we want to remind you about the importance of staying vigilant to remain safe in today’s digital world. Healthcare scams can happen at anytime, anywhere, and to anyone— individuals, families, and businesses alike. 

Many common threats are highly sophisticated and can be difficult to notice, including “phishing,” which is a cyberattack that involves impersonating a trusted source – such as a bank or business partner – to try to acquire financial or personal information. Phishing can happen via email, text, or a phone call.

Here are some tips for staying safe from phishing:

• Stay Alert: Pay attention to details like slightly incorrect email addresses, grammar mistakes, or seemingly urgent requests. Think twice before sharing sensitive financial or personal information or clicking on links.
• Verify Requests: Use a second method of verification, like a phone call or new email to the person or business that supposedly sent the message, to make sure that the request is real.
• Update systems: Regularly update your operating systems, applications, and antivirus software to protect against known vulnerabilities.
• Back up data: Regularly back up important data to an external hard drive or a secure cloud service.

As a general reminder, if you experience a cybersecurity incident, please report it immediately to Mass General Brigham Health Plan to facilitate a prompt and effective response. Stay tuned for more tips and resources in our October newsletter to help you and your clients keep sensitive information secure. 

Mass General Brigham Health Plan in the community

Last month, Mass General Brigham Health Plan proudly sponsored a four-day hydration station at Faneuil Hall as part of our "Choose wellness" campaign. The hydration station offered refreshing drinking water, and our team distributed Mass General Brigham Health Plan water bottles to the public. It was a fantastic opportunity to engage with the community and discuss our initiatives. We even had Lisa Donovan from Kiss 108's Billy & Lisa in the Morning stop by to meet with fans. Attendees also had the chance to participate in a giveaway for an at-home water bubbler and a Yeti cooler. Check out pictures from the event below.

Newsletter feedback survey

We welcome your feedback on our monthly newsletter. Please let us know what aspects are effective and where we can improve. The anonymous survey provided below will help us assess the newsletter's performance and identify opportunities for enhancement.

Take the 5-question survey 

Reminder: Join us on October 2 for our fall broker meeting

We hope you can join us on October 2 for our fall broker meeting! Hear about the latest news and updates from Mass General Brigham Health Plan and how it relates to you and your customers. 

Highlights will include:

• Product portfolio enhancements
• Merged Market updates, including new EPO product
• New Medicare products for 2025

Register today

Tips for sharing these articles and resources

• Include in an email blast to your clients
• Post on your social media or blog

Articles and resources for your clients

• Stay well and healthy: Get caught up on all your recommended vaccinations 
  Suggested text to share with clients: "Back-to-school is a time for new beginnings and fresh perspectives. Parents stuff backpacks with school supplies in the hopes that their children will stay strong and confident for the year ahead. One of the many challenges parents anticipate, especially with so many kids gathered indoors, is the spread of illness that tends to occur once kids return to the classroom. Continue reading for more insight from Dr. Jim Hellinger, Medical Director at Mass General Brigham Health Plan and Infectious Disease Specialist. Read more."

• • • • eBook - Inclusive Perspectives
        Suggested text to share with clients: "The workforce is made up of a diverse set of individuals—many of whom experience or support people going through pregnancy and menopause. Although specialty care offerings in these areas have been excluded from healthcare benefits historically, today's employers are embracing solutions to support the full spectrum of health for their employees. Learn more."