California Health Plan Invests in School-Based Virtual Care

Health Net has awarded a $3 million grant to Hazel Health to expand its virtual care platform into another 200 elementary schools in 10 California counties.

A California health plan is investing $3 million in school-based virtual care.

Health Net announced earlier this month that it has awarded a $3 million grant to Hazel Health, enabling the telehealth company to expand virtual primary and behavioral healthcare services to some 200 K-12 schools in 10 California counties.

The award comes at a time when school-aged children are under immense pressure, due in large part to the pandemic, which has interrupted in-person learning and strained home life. In many cases, school districts have sought to keep their healthcare services open during shutdowns or shifts to online care on the belief that children need that access to care.

"At no time in any of our lives has access to meaningful health services been more important for children," Travis Gayles, chief health officer of San Francisco-based Hazel Health, said in a press release. "Every child should have access to high quality health care no matter their zip code or family income. Hazel's platform has enormous potential to close the gaps in healthcare equity, and we are thrilled that Health Net's sponsorship will help advance that critical goal."

Hazel Health, which reportedly serves some 2 million children in school districts in several states, is working with roughly 130 school districts in California. In Health Net, the company is partnering with a health plan that’s part of the state’s Medi-Cal program, which provides resources for the state’s most underserved populations.

Aside from offering access to healthcare services for children who might not have that access through family channels, virtual care platforms give schools an opportunity to care for students and staff on-site, rather than discharging them to seek care at a doctor’s office or clinic 9and putting more strain on student’s families). They can also offer much-need behavioral health or chronic care management services.

Advocates say these services reduce absentee rates and improve student health and engagement, which in turn boosts test scores and morale. According to Health Net officials, students accessing school-based virtual care services return to class 85% percent of the time, resulting in about 2,300 saved hours of education time.