St. Luke's Health Plan
October 6, 2025
Better Together: A Story of Seamless Care and Smarter Spending
In health care, discharge planning is one of the most critical steps in a patient’s journey home. It often requires coordinating across multiple teams and vendors to ensure that the right support is in place. That coordination can sometimes introduce challenges—especially when specialized equipment or services are needed.
Recently, a patient at St. Luke’s was preparing for discharge from the hospital. Everything was ready, except for one important piece: a specific type of durable medical equipment (DME) essential for a safe transition home.
The clinical team began the usual process of working with the Health Plan and the DME provider but soon discovered the vendor did not have the necessary equipment available. In many situations, this might lead to delays, extended hospital stays and additional stress for the patient and care team.
But in this case, something unique made a difference: the patient was a St. Luke’s Health Plan member.
Because we work side-by-side with providers, the clinicians were able to collaborate directly with us in real time. Together, they identified an alternative solution, coordinated care and secured the equipment the member needed—all in time for a same-day discharge.
The impact was clear:
- A better patient experience.
- Lower costs for both the system and the member.
- A demonstration of what’s possible when care and coverage are closely aligned.
This story illustrates the value of an integrated system. Because we share the same mission, patients benefit from faster solutions, smoother transitions and more affordable care.