- Assurance Wireless, a federal Lifeline Assistance program for wireless phone service, has teamed up with Gold Mobile (GoMo Health), a mobile Healthcare Solutions Provider (HSP), to deliver a unique (patent pending) service to improve provider/patient communications.
- Assurance Wireless provides a free phone, 250 free voice minutes and 250 free text messages to low-income eligible consumers in more than 40 states. Gold Mobile provides a secure, HIPAA-compliant mobile patient/member engagement and communications service called GoMo Chat Secure. Together, these services are providing a platform to empower health care insurers, HMOs and health care systems to deliver and manage two-way secure messages to all member patients. This is a free service to Assurance Wireless customers.
- GoMo Chat Secure delivers secure (encrypted) text-based messages that are viewable using the Assurance Wireless mobile phone’s native browser, so there are no character count restrictions or the need to download and maintain OS-specific mobile applications. Because the solution is integrated into a specially provisioned Free-to-End-User (FTEU) short code, there are no charges to those members who participate in the Assurance Wireless Lifeline Assistance program.
- GoMo Chat Secure now enables health care organizations to communicate PHI (Patient Health Information)- related messages to members and patients in a fully secure, HIPAA and 21 CFR part 11 compliant manner.
- "This is a true game-changer for remote patient care and the health care industry in general because of the need and benefit in communicating PHI information to patients in-the-moment, when and where they need it," said Alan Stern, vice president of Healthcare Solutions for Gold Mobile.
- With GoMo Chat Secure, a feature of the GoMo Health platform, health plans, systems and providers can now deploy a wide array of mobile health care communications programs to improve quality of care, especially for high-risk and recently discharged members and patients. This innovative approach delivers secure one-way, two-way text chat and voice communications—configured completely by the Health Care Insurer Administrators for both Lifeline and member phones and devices.
- Assurance Wireless is supported by the federal Universal Service Fund, which requires application for eligibility and offers a worry-free way to stay in touch with prospective and current employers, school services, doctors, and family in times of emergencies.
- "Assurance Wireless selected Gold Mobile to work with because of this unique mobile health care solution," said David Avila, business development manager, Assurance Wireless. "Through our combined programs, we can provide affordable, secure and socially conscious health and wellness communications for low-income member patients to improve their health and, ultimately, their quality of life."
- In addition to GoMo Chat Secure, the Gold Mobile platform provides HEDIS (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set) measurement tools for insurance carriers to manage and improve their performance ratings. HEDIS, used by more than 90 percent of America's health plans, consists of 76 measures across five domains of care used to measure performance of care and service. Health plans also use HEDIS performance measurements to gauge where they may need to improve components of their service. Employers, consultants and consumers use it to help them select the best plan for their health care needs.
- The Lifeline Assistance program is available for only one wireless or wireline account per household.
- Enrollment in this government benefit program is available to residents who meet federal or state specific eligibility criteria. Residents may qualify for Assurance Wireless if they participate in certain public assistance programs, such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) or Section 8, Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) or the National School Lunch Program’s Free Lunch Program. Applicants may also qualify based on household income. Applicants must provide proof of program participation or proof of income.
