Superior HealthPlan and Quest Diagnostics Join Forces to Increase Access to COVID-19 Testing in Underserved Communities in Texas

Date: 05/15/20

AUSTIN, Texas (May 15, 2020) – Superior HealthPlan announced today a collaboration with Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, to increase access to real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) COVID-19 testing in critical areas of need in Texas. Through this collaboration, Superior will facilitate the distribution of 1,000 Quest COVID-19 test kits each week to CommUnityCare Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) offering services throughout Austin, Travis County and the surrounding areas.

“We’re proud to be working closely with Quest Diagnostics and CommUnityCare to increase access to COVID-19 testing during this health emergency,” said Mark Sanders, President and CEO of Superior HealthPlan. “Our role in healthcare in Texas is to serve the uninsured and underinsured, and by working together, we can continue to fulfill our purpose of transforming the health of Texas communities, one person at a time.”

This collaboration leverages one of Superior’s many quality providers to ensure that testing capacity is routed to where it’s needed most. As part of the collaboration, Superior will provide oversight and training to ensure test kits are received and processed efficiently. Distribution of the kits began this month, and Quest Diagnostics will conduct the COVID-19 testing through its network of laboratories across the U.S.

CommUnityCare has 27 health centers across Central Texas, and provided nearly 400,000 medical and dental visits to patients in 2019 alone. CommUnityCare is an FQHC that offers patient-centered care and has a mission of strengthening the health and well-being of the communities it serves. Of the 116,000 unique patients served during 2019, 83% self-identified as a racial and/or ethnic minority group and 55% of the unique patients served were uninsured.

“One of our strongest weapons in combating the coronavirus pandemic is increased testing,” said Jaeson Fournier, President & CEO of CommUnityCare Health Centers. “We are extremely grateful to Superior HealthPlan and Quest Diagnositics for joining forces with us to bring increased testing to the communities we are privileged to serve. Through this collaboration, CommUnityCare will achieve greater testing equity for our patient population, many of whom are considered to be at risk for an adverse COVID-19 health outcome.”

Superior members are encouraged to contact CommUnityCare Health Centers on their COVID Hotline at 1-512-978-8775 for additional information about testing. Members can also find more information about COVID-19 and how Superior can support them by visiting Superior’s COVID-19 resources page.