Redwood City, California, October 3, 2023 – Today, Wider Circle announces the release of a new report published by a leading actuarial firm, Milliman, that reviewed and validated the company’s methodology for measuring the clinical and financial outcomes of the company’s flagship program, Connect for Life (CFL). This validation is an important proof point that this program’s measurement approach is grounded in a well-established and credible methodology.
In their report, Milliman said:
“Overall, we conclude that the methodology Wider Circle uses to quantify the potential impact of its CFL program is reasonable and appropriate, in terms of approach and assumptions used, for its intended use. Wider Circle’s approaches for quantifying impact are consistent with typical actuarial practices.”
The CFL program builds trusted neighborhood groups where members gather, connect, and motivate each other to achieve happier, healthier lives. Facilitated by local community engagement liaisons, the program is active in tens of thousands of communities across the country and is available in 7 languages. These CFL Circles serve as a catalyst to foster social connection and improve health equity, share important resources to navigate healthcare, and address social determinants of health. These Circles are a community-based extension of the traditional clinical care model that leverages the power of peer influence and creates bridges to the healthcare system through trusted community liaisons and our member ambassadors and have been shown to improve patient outcomes and increase member retention for payers and providers. Using the impact measurement methodology, Wider Circle estimates that the CFL program has achieved:
- 50% lower rate of plan disenrollment
- 8 fewer ED visits per 1,000 members
- $103 Per Engaged Member Per Month net savings for Medicare Advantage members
- $114 Per Engaged Member Per Month net savings for African American Medicaid members. The peer reviewed study of the CFL program’s impact on African American Medicaid members in the Archives of Public Health can be found here.
Using a vetted methodology to quantify program impact is an essential part of Wider Circle’s process to measure the value organizations could receive when working together to deliver preventive care and the cost of that care.
“We are committed to ensuring that our work has a measurable impact on the communities we serve,” said Wider Circle Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Claude Pinnock. We are building a scalable program that not only addresses the epidemic of health equity and social determinants of health, but also does so in a way that recognizes the enormous financial pressures facing our healthcare system.”
View the full report
Learn more about Wider Circle’s methodology
About Wider Circle:
Wider Circle works with health plans and providers nationally to deliver unique community care programs that connect neighbors for better health. Centered on trusted relationships, Wider Circle connects health plan members with like-minded neighbors to inform, support and motivate one another, empowering them to be more proactive about their health. Wider Circle’s trusted delivery network has been proven to drive resilience, improve member experience and engagement and reduce hospitalizations. Today, Wider Circle offers its unique neighborhood care programs to tens of thousands of communities nationwide. To learn more, visit widercircle.com
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