Palmetto GBA, a Medicare administrative contractor, and Unite Us, the nation's leading technology company connecting health and social care, are partnering on a social determinants of health (SDoH) project to improve patient outcomes in Georgia and South Carolina. With program funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), this program will give health providers access to the coordinated care networks known as Unite Georgia and Unite South Carolina.

Partners in both networks are connected through Unite Us’ shared technology platform, which enables them to send and receive secure electronic referrals, address people’s social needs, and improve health across communities. Providers can screen patients for SDoH factors such as food insecurity and transportation needs and then refer them through the platform to a local agency that will address their needs. These factors influence 80 percent of health outcomes and 40 percent of health care costs. Patients reporting food insecurity are 2.4 times more likely to report multiple emergency room visits and twice as likely to report inpatient visits.

As the Medicare administrative contractor for Georgia and South Carolina, Palmetto GBA will lead the effort to help providers use this solution. “Palmetto GBA is honored to offer this opportunity to our providers. It uses an innovative technology solution to better serve beneficiaries by connecting health care with communities,” said Dr. Alex Delage, Palmetto GBA SDoH Program Director.

Together, Palmetto GBA and Unite Us will securely connect people in need with community-based resources that can be difficult to navigate otherwise. The partnership provides a central point of contact where health care providers can access and refer people to needed services while monitoring progress and measuring outcomes.

“CMS’ investment in Georgia and South Carolina will enable providers to bridge the social and health care needs of the rural and underrepresented communities they serve,” said Raj Madure, associate vice president of strategic accounts at Unite Us. The group will focus on older adults in 2023. “We look forward to using this next year to develop a social care strategy and support targeted programs to uniquely address the needs of seniors nationally.”

To learn more about services offered through Unite Us, reach out at UniteUs.com/contact.


About Palmetto GBA
Palmetto GBA is a provider of commercial, government, administrative and information technology services that create value by continuously transforming ideas into technical solutions that improve service, quality and cost. To learn more about Palmetto GBA, visit www.PalmettoGBA.com.

About Unite Us
Unite Us is a technology company that builds coordinated care networks of health and social service providers. With Unite Us, providers across sectors can send and receive secure electronic referrals, track every person’s total health journey, and report on tangible outcomes across a full range of services in a centralized, cohesive and collaborative ecosystem. Unite Us’ dedicated team builds authentic, lasting partnerships with local organizations to ensure their networks have a solid foundation, launch successfully, and continue to grow and thrive. This HITRUST-certified social care infrastructure helps communities transform their ability to work together and measure impact at scale. Follow Unite Us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Palmetto GBA Media Contact
brindy.mcnair@bcbssc.com
(803) 240-0428

Unite Us Media Contact
jaquetta.gooden@uniteus.com
(808) 485-9086