Screening promotes early detection and diagnosis to help manage symptoms, contain downstream costs, and expedite appropriate care planning.
DALLAS, October 18, 2024—Signify Health, a CVS Health company (NYSE: CVS), today announced the expansion of its in-home diagnostic and preventive service offering to include a cognitive health digital screener to help enable early disease detection and treatment for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a common precursor to dementia and condition that remains undiagnosed for millions of seniors. The digital cognitive screening test is available for eligible health plan members and administered from the convenience of home, with a clinician’s guidance, during Signify’s in-home health evaluations (IHEs).
Primary care providers (PCPs) often lack the time and diagnostics to properly assess cognitive impairment and routinely refer members to specialists, adding time between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis. Improving the opportunity for early detection from the convenience of home helps health plan members, their PCP, and their caregivers develop care plans and get ahead of the disease progression. Signify Health’s cognitive health digital screener supplements the role of the PCP by helping to identify and document cognitive impairment care gaps, with the potential to reduce downstream costs, and improve care coordination for eligible health plan members aged 65+ suffering from MCI and other related cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer’s.
Almost 10% of U.S. adults ages 65 and older have dementia, while another 22% have MCI, and nearly seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease a figure that is expected to double by 2050, with related costs also expected to rise. Even more concerning is that 54% of those who believe they have cognitive decline have not consulted a health care professional, even though annual cognitive testing is required by CMS as part of Medicare beneficiaries’ Annual Wellness Visit.
The cognitive health digital screener is completed in under five minutes during an In-Home Health Evaluation (IHE) that lasts up to an hour. This allows ample time to capture a health plan member’s cognitive health status. Results from the IHE, including findings of cognitive impairment, are provided to the member’s PCP, allowing for timely interventions and further care planning and coordination.
While the screening test is self-administered, a Signify Health clinician is with the member– walking them through the screening process and explaining the reason for and importance of the test. This one-to-one support helps eliminate the frustration individuals often experience with traditional pen-and-paper-based cognitive health screening tests, which can take up to four times as long for plan members to complete.
“With the new digital screener, our Signify clinicians can objectively capture the cognitive health status of the member, which along with the symptoms observed, can lead to an MCI diagnosis. By connecting the member back to care the member and their family can work with their PCP to develop care plans and get the treatment they need,” said Paymon Farazi, President of Signify Health. “It’s imperative that we address the growing need for these types of screenings and Signify is focused on increasing our in-home capabilities to address these gaps in care for our aging population and get the necessary care to manage their health”
Signify Health clinicians help health plan members complete the digital screening assessment in the comfort of their home, without the distractions and additional stress that may be present in an office setting. The results are combined with additional clinical assessments, including the member’s ability to perform Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and their diagnosis and medication history. Then confounders are ruled out to best determine whether a member has MCI or dementia. From there, screening results are shared with both the health plan and their PCP for further care planning.
“Supporting seniors as they age means not only helping individuals manage existing chronic conditions but providing comprehensive preventive testing for both mental and physical health conditions,” said Heidi Schwarzwald, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Signify Health. “Providing convenient cognitive digital screenings in the home is just one way the CVS Health ecosystem is helping seniors maintain their mental health as they age.”
Paying attention to cognitive health and prioritizing cognitive health screenings are important steps in helping seniors age well. Health plans interested in learning more about in-home Cognitive Testing for their Medicare Advantage, Affordable Care Act and Medicaid beneficiaries should contact their Signify Health client success representative, or complete the form on our website. Through this new offering, Signify Health aims to expand access to care, striving to connect health plan members to high-value health care services to potentially enhance health outcomes.
About Signify Health
Signify Health, a CVS Health Company, is a leading health care platform that leverages advanced analytics, technology, and nationwide health care provider networks to create and power value-based payment programs. Our mission is to build trusted relationships to make people healthier. Our solutions support value-based payment programs by aligning financial incentives around outcomes, providing tools to health plans and health care organizations designed to assess and manage risk and identify actionable opportunities for improved patient outcomes, coordination and cost-savings. Through our platform, we coordinate what we believe is a holistic suite of clinical, social, and behavioral services to address an individual's health care needs and prevent adverse events that drive excess cost, all while shifting services towards the home.