Partnership Between ConferMED and Anthem Blue Cross Expands Access to Specialty Care for Primary Care Doctors and 1.2 Million Medi-Cal Members

Through eConsults, doctors are empowered to achieve efficiencies, simplify healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes for Anthem members.

ConferMED has announced a new partnership with Anthem Blue Cross of California (Anthem) to offer rapid specialty electronic consultations (eConsults) that empower primary care physicians (PCPs) to better serve Anthem’s 1.2 million members who participate in the state’s Medicaid (Medi-Cal) program. These newly available services improve health outcomes by connecting doctors with timely specialty care expertise and guidance that can be delivered in a single setting by providers that patients know and trust.

ConferMED provides clinical consultations between PCPs and a virtual network of California-licensed specialists who are carefully vetted and specially trained to provide expert guidance and support. The consults between the PCPs and specialists are conducted electronically via a secure interface. The specialist completes the clinical consultation within two (2) business days, and in a majority of cases, is able to provide the PCP the guidance they need to be able to successfully manage the patient.

“Our peer-reviewed research and extensive data from over 35,000 consults shows that eConsults are a highly efficient way to increase access to specialty care for the medically underserved,” said Daren Anderson, M.D., President of ConferMED. “COVID-19 has taught us that telehealth services such as ours are urgently needed as a way to help patients and improve access while avoiding unnecessary in person visits, which is the goal of our partnership with Anthem,” Anderson said.

eConsults have been shown to yield significant cost savings as well as reduce long wait times for specialty care and decrease the need for acute care. “ConferMED allows our providers to quickly access expert information so they can deliver the best care to our patients,” said Mary Ann Barnes, RN, AltaMed Health Services Chief Operations Officer. “This intervention helps health centers like AltaMed play a critical role in easing demands on hospitals.”