CHCF invests in RubiconMD, which connects primary care providers to specialists via electronic consultations, enabling timely, expert clinic advice. Specialty care is in short supply throughout California, and statewide data show that Medi-Cal enrollees are twice as likely as those with employer-based health insurance to report difficulty seeing a specialist. Barriers to accessing specialty care are even more acute for Medi-Cal enrollees in rural areas, who report experiencing twice as much difficulty as enrollees in urban areas.
CHCF’s investment in RubiconMD, a technology platform that connects primary care providers to specialists, aims to improve access to specialty care in the safety net. RubiconMD’s eConsults enable timely and expert clinical advice through electronic consultations. With CHCF’s support, the company plans to implement eConsults for primary care providers in Medi-Cal managed care plans.
eConsults through RubiconMD are managed on a web-based platform that matches primary care inquiries to specialists for advice, with an average response time of four hours or less. eConsults empower primary care providers to make more informed decisions on patient care plans and to improve productivity. Studies have shown that eConsults can reduce specialty referrals by 40% and decrease wait times by 50%.