A Message from the CEO
As healthcare expenses continue to rise dramatically, Community Health Options remains committed to facilitating access to preventive services, cost-effective treatment options and coordinated care management to improve health outcomes and control costs.
In 2024, we continued to expand our presence in Maine, including growth among fully insured and self-insured large group employers, while remaining committed to small businesses, individuals and families through Maine’s health insurance Marketplace.
- Powered by the pioneering spirit that built Community Health Options, we continue to find new ways to foster preventive care and support the management of chronic conditions. Among other things, our primary focus on quality outcomes means that fewer of our Members are readmitted to the hospital than the industry benchmark, and that more of our Members take their medications as prescribed than our peers.
- Owing to widespread healthcare challenges, including a shortage of primary care availability, we increased our efforts to partner with providers to supply Members the care they need. For example, we launched our partnership with Firefly Health, offering Members over 18 the option of virtual primary care so they can get care anytime, anywhere. Members say they enjoy the easy access to providers, quick appointments and referrals for in-person specialty care as needed.
- We saved Members money on routine X-rays and labs by partnering with providers to offer low-cost copays. And we continued to expand our network of infusion centers to provide lower-cost treatments, saving almost $745,000 in out-of-pocket costs for our Members. Additionally, Members saved more than $200,000 on prescriptions in 2024 through our ScriptSaver program, thanks to our pharmacists coordinating with providers and pharmacies to lower out-of-pocket costs.
- We explored new partnerships with providers and vendors to find the best ways to help our Members live their healthiest lives. For instance, we piloted a project with a Maine-based medical practice to ensure Members with diabetes had the resources to manage their blood glucose levels. Similarly, another partnership focused on reducing the risks of high blood sugar levels for Members with Type 2 diabetes by facilitating necessary blood sugar monitoring.
As we evolve to meet the healthcare coverage needs of a changing marketplace and workforce, we’ll always move forward in the spirit of partnership, celebrating high quality of care and finding innovative solutions and payment models that seek to close gaps in care and lower total costs.