AmeriSys offers contact tracing for COVID-19
A managed care organization is providing employers a new way to help fight the spread of the coronavirus as businesses reopen.
As employers weigh the pros and cons of reopening their offices, there are some new tools available to help them educate their staffs and monitor any coronavirus exposures as part of their risk management plans. AmeriSys, a nationwide managed care organization, has developed a program that will assist companies with contact tracing for their employees should someone test positive for COVID-19.
Under the program, an AmeriSys nurse will provide education to an employee who has a positive COVID-19 test and help assess any healthcare needs as well. The education process includes explaining how the disease progresses, the health effects and signs that could indicate a need for emergency care, and an overview of the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concerning the need to quarantine. The nurse will also work with the employee to assess the resources and support systems for quarantining appropriately. Throughout the process, the employee’s identity remains anonymous.
Since education is an important part meeting patient and employee needs, the contact tracer will also speak with individuals in the workplace who may have had contact with the affected employee, evaluate them for any current symptoms and provide them with the current CDC guidelines concerning quarantine.
Dhara Patel, president of American Claims Management, believes that this program could be covered by workers’ compensation insurance if an employee tests positive for the coronavirus. The program also provides a key ingredient to a company’s risk management plan concerning the coronavirus. In an email interview with PropertyCasualty360.com, she indicated, “the initial pilot was very successful, and we are getting a lot of interest from mid- to large-size employers.”
For employers, the program provides resources to help them educate their teams responsibly about the coronavirus, enables them to identify individuals who are infected with COVID-19 and will assist them in notifying everyone in the workplace who might have been exposed to those who have tested positive for the virus. Currently, only one other company offers a similar program for employers.
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