ABOUT US
WE WORK TO BRIDGE CARE GAPS
A large part of a patient's recovery from a hospital or rehabilitation stay happens once a patient gets home. The first 60 days after getting home is the highest risk for needing to return to the hospital. The risk can be as high as 30% in certain cases.
However, many Michigan residents do not have a primary care doctor. Others need to make a distant clinic appointment with their primary care provider (PCP). Often, this is too late. The patient needs refills, home health support, or travel assistance before their scheduled appointment. Without this support, the patient ends up calling 911 and is back in the hospital.
This is where BridgeCare can help. Our dedicated team has found creative ways to both fill these gaps but to also help patients thrive. From home infusions to visiting labs and imaging, our team can minimize risk and change treatment based on acuity. BridgeCare works with the resources in the patient's community and pairs that with expert medical care.
OUR MISSION AND PURPOSE
BridgeCare's mission is to improve patient outcomes and quality of life by helping patients stay healthy and out of the hospital.
OUR APPROACH
We believe bridging critical gaps in care is crucial for patient outcomes and satisfaction. Unlike other transition care programs that offer pieces of transitional support, BridgeCare provides it all. From physician services, case management, and behavioral health, to 24/7 patient access.
WHY WE DO IT
America's Medicare population has a readmission rate of 1 in 3 within thirty days of leaving the hospital. At BridgeCare, we believe that with innovation and technology, we can start to improve these trends.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
-
Is BridgeCare a primary care office?No, Bridgecare is a discharge clinic. Bridgecare offers 60 days of services similar to a primary care office. However, our goal is to bridge gaps in care, not provide long term care. We help patients seek and find primary care doctors to follow up with once they "graduate" from BridgeCare. Patients with an established primary care doctor can also see BridgeCare if they are unable to get a timely appointment with their doctor. As long as the patient DOES NOT have an appointment within the first 14 days of coming home, they are eligible for BridgeCare services. We then work hand in hand with primary care doctors to help keep their patients out of the hospital.
-
Is BridgeCare a type of insurance?No. BridgeCare is a medical service group. BridgeCare accepts the vast majority of Michigan's insurances.
-
How does BridgeCare get paid?BridgeCare gets paid by billing a patient's insurance. Patients may still be responsible for copays and deductibles per their respective insurance plans. A certain percentage of BridgeCare's transitional care services are also donated to patients without insurance as an effort to assist those at the greatest risk of poor outcomes.
-
How does BridgeCare get referrals?BridgeCare typically gets referrals from hospital discharge planners, home health companies, and subacute rehabs as patients get close to their discharge date. We can accept refferals for up to 13 days of coming home. Patients can also express interest in BridgeCare services by calling our main office. All patients must still be within the allowed timeframe (first 13 days), undergo insurance verification, and be able to complete a video visit. Once all three are confirmed, patients will get an appointment with a BridgeCare doctor. Typically, a patient is scheduled within a few hours of us receiving a referral.
-
How do I know if BridgeCare accepted a referral?Once BridgeCare receives a referral (via web portal, fax, or email) the referral process is started. A BridgeCare staff member will start by verifying insurance. Once insurance is verified, our clinical team will be making the patients chart right away. After insurance verification, the patient will also be sent a welcome text with links to BridgeCare's Consent Form. After insurance verification and if a contact number or email is provided with the referral, staff will inform the referrer of our acceptance of the patient. The patient then will typically be contacted the day of discharge to schedule their video appointment. Most referrals are successfully processed and completed within 1-2 calendar days of the patient coming home.
-
Is there anyone BridgeCare doesn't see?BridgeCare accepts all insurances. However, every insurance has multiple plans. For example BCBS has a medicare plan, a PPO plan, an HMO plan. Some plans, specifically HMO plans, require a prior authorization. We have found the fastest way to get approval for our services under an HMO plan is for the patient to call and change their primary care provider to our medical director, Dr. Harshini Jayasuriya, NPI: 1043507833. Instructions can be provided upon request. All other plans are accepted without need for prior authorization. As long as the patients insurance is active, we will be able to accept the referral right away.
-
What if a patient is from out of state or plans to travel?We accept many patients from our of state as long as they have some form of residence in Michigan. We will verify insurance once a referral is received. We may be out of network for out of state patients but that will not prevent us from providing services. Once a patient is accepted to BridgeCare, we can assist patients wherever they are through our virtual visits. We will locate the nearest pharmacy to the patient and send medications. Referrals can be sent to local specialists and agencies. If face-to-face help is needed, BridgeCare will not hesitate to ask the patient to seek in-person care in their area of travel.
-
How is BridgeCare different from the doctor down the street?BridgeCare knows primary care doctors are some of the hardest-working doctors in the field of medicine. Most PCPs are responsible for a panel of 2,500-3000 patients. Your regular doctor may see you by appointment for any of your needs. BridgeCare is different. We only specializes in discharge services. Discharge care is time-sensitive. If done well, it also requires significant prep time and longer visits to help patients understand their next steps and prevent re-hospitalization. BridgeCare services are intensive and comprehensive but only last up to 60 days. Our goal is to safely transition a patient back to a permanent primary doctor. BridgeCare can help busy PCPs by doing the necessary prep work, providing a safety net for high risk periods/ patients, and finally package everything in a clear, easy to read format as warm "graduation" handoff.