NEW YORK, New York, July 1, 2024 – Isaac Health, a leading national telehealth provider of brain health and dementia care, is a participant in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, launching today. This program enables Isaac Health to deliver comprehensive, personalized care to individuals living with dementia and their families.
According to a 2024 Alzheimer’s Association report, dementia currently affects nearly 7 million Americans, with that number expected to double to 14 million by 2060. As healthcare costs for dementia care are projected to soar to $1 trillion by 2050, unpaid caregivers are already providing 18.4 billion hours of care annually, valued at nearly $350 billion. These caregivers face significant challenges, with 70% experiencing stress from coordinating care and two-thirds struggling to find necessary resources. Additionally, 60% of healthcare workers believe the U.S. healthcare system is failing to effectively support dementia patients and their families.
The GUIDE Model is designed to mitigate these challenges faced by persons living with dementia and their families through comprehensive medical care, support, and resources. Through the GUIDE Model, Isaac Health’s multidisciplinary team of clinicians and care navigators will offer advanced care management for persons living with dementia and their caregivers to address these critical issues, aiming to improve care coordination and health outcomes at a national scale – including communities who typically face barriers to accessing care, such as those in geographically isolated parts of the country.
Isaac Health collaborates directly with persons with dementia, primary care groups, health systems, and health plans to offer the GUIDE Model in full. Key services provided by Isaac Health’s GUIDE Program include:
- Advanced community-based care management for dementia: Each GUIDE enrollee will have a dedicated care navigator and a neurology-led community team at Isaac Health, who will help them receive the right care and support. Care management services include care planning through telehealth, regular check-ins, navigation to relevant community resources, and in-person home safety assessments.
- Respite care covered by Medicare: Recognizing the need for caregivers to get support while they take care of other tasks or their own needs, Isaac Health provides respite care with trained home care aides visiting the home to care for the person living with dementia for up to 4 hours.
- Caregiver training and support: Isaac Health’s GUIDE Program will provide essential caregiver training, 1:1 coaching for caregivers, support groups, and access to a 24/7 helpline to ensure everyone involved in care feels supported.
“CMS is excited to partner with Isaac Health under the GUIDE Model,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “GUIDE is a new approach to how Medicare will pay for the care of people living with dementia. The GUIDE participants are envisioning new ways to support not only people living with dementia, but also to reduce strain on the people who care for them, so that more Americans can remain in their homes and communities, rather than in institutions.”
“Participating in the GUIDE Model is a significant step forward in our mission to transform dementia care,” said Dr. Julius Bruch, CEO and co-founder of Isaac Health. “We are committed to providing innovative, compassionate, and coordinated care that addresses the unique challenges faced by individuals with dementia and their families. By leveraging the GUIDE Model, we can offer comprehensive care and improve the quality of life for our patients, ensuring that they feel supported and empowered through their health journey.”
About Isaac Health:
Launched in 2022, Isaac Health offers a virtual brain health and memory clinic platform with the goal of dramatically improving access to constrained brain health services. Isaac Health partners with health systems and payers to screen, diagnose, treat, and manage populations with brain health conditions such as dementia. Independently validated outcomes include a 38% reduction in ED utilization and a 28% reduction in inpatient visits. Isaac Health is also available to patients or their caregivers directly as a memory clinic service at myisaachealth.com.
Press contact:
Karissa Dong
