2020 was a challenging year that many of us are happy to say farewell to. However, if we look back, we can see many positives that have come out of those grueling 12 months.
Customer-centricity through the pandemic
COVID-19 challenged our ‘normal’ way of life throughout 2020. In addition to playing the role of a modern-day MacGyver, duct taping our daily lives together, many of us had to play the role of family teacher, doctor, and psychologist. Learning how to navigate through lesson plans, Zoom calls, and even grief counseling.
Wellfleet saw and understood these and the many other challenges our clients, partners, members, and staff would face, and chose to be proactive. Wellfleet provided regular COVID-19 updates to partners and made all medically-necessary COVID-19 testing and treatment available to all members at no cost, no matter where they were before state mandates were announced.
We made sure our members were aware of virtual care options, as well as how to get vital prescriptions. We revised our commitment to our clients and students, to aid in exceeding expectations with uncompromising ethics. We empowered our employees to work from home safely, and effectively. And, we provided forums and resources to help people plan to get back to work and campus.
Introducing a Complete Behavioral Health Solution
In 2020, one thing remained constant – Wellfleet continued to listen to the needs of its clients. Though we have always had excellent behavioral health care coverage, we found that partners may have inadvertently opted out of receiving it or were unsure of how to access or advise clients of the many different benefits. In 2020, Wellfleet gathered them together, creating a Complete Behavioral Health Solution (CBHS). This includes five key programs:
- An expansive national virtual network of counselors that supplements local networks with more than 43,000 providers
- Wellfleet’s unique Student Formulary, with $0 copays for more than 40 generic, often-prescribed medications, including anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, and bipolar medications
- CareConnect, Wellfleet’s exclusive 24/7 urgent behavioral health care and counseling line
- Wellfleet’s Provider Relations recruitment department, committed to 100% behavioral health provider access for client’s mental health referral base
- Expert Student Behavioral Health Case Management, designed to assist students with more complicated or severe needs
Improving our programs
Throughout the year, Wellfleet also expanded its programs to save its clients and members money. This included programs in medical management, pharmacy, and claims, as well as Fraud and Abuse. More details on these program updates will be discussed in upcoming newsletters.
Wellfleet is also working on a consolidated and improved method of providing telehealth services. In addition to general medicine and behavioral health, we will be expanding our telehealth offering to include access to more than 20 specialties. We will also offer telehealth services in more than 30 countries including, but not limited to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Most importantly, we will be able to offer our telehealth services to non-Wellfleet students on campus! Those students will be able to utilize their own health insurance for these services.
Looking forward to 2021
2020 was not all bad. We found ways to be resourceful and steadfast in the face of adversity, bing-watched Netflix to our hearts’ content and most importantly – people once again proved their ingenuity by creating viable vaccines in a tenth of the time it usually takes.
Please add your thoughts on how 2020 changed you, tips you learned, what you thought was most impressive or just plain ridiculous. As always, if you haven’t signed up for our monthly clinical newsletter, please do so.
We look forward to providing updates on the great things we’re doing throughout the upcoming year. 2021 will be better and brighter.
Happy New Year to all our Wellfleet friends and family! We hope you all have a wonderful New Year!
