Aetna Better Health of Illinois has teamed up with Summer Health to do something simple but powerful: give families immediate access to pediatricians without the drive, the waiting room, or the out-of-pocket cost. And it’s already rolling out statewide.
The partnership officially launched this week, making Aetna the first Managed Care Organization (MCO) in Illinois to offer this digital pediatric care service to its youngest Medicaid members. The service comes at no cost to families and promises to reduce trips to emergency rooms and urgent care clinics by getting ahead of problems before they balloon.
Why It Matters
Parents know the drill—your kid spikes a fever or breaks out in a rash and you’re stuck playing phone tag with the doctor’s office. Sometimes you wait days for an appointment or spend your evening in an ER waiting room for something that could’ve been handled in five minutes.
This initiative wipes out those delays. Summer Health connects parents with board-certified pediatricians in under three minutes, through a secure digital platform. No scheduling. No waiting. No cost.
The Bigger Picture: Fewer ER Visits, Less Stress
Aetna Better Health of Illinois serves more than 360,000 Medicaid members across 102 counties. That’s a lot of families who now have a quicker, easier way to get medical advice and treatment for their kids—especially when time is tight and options are few.
By giving families fast access to care, this partnership aims to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits. That means lower healthcare costs, fewer insurance claims, and less disruption for parents who might otherwise miss work. It also frees up hospital emergency departments to focus on real emergencies.
Health Access That Fits Family Life
The real magic here is in the convenience. Parents can ask questions and get treatment advice while sitting on the couch, without scrambling for childcare or leaving work early.
Rushil Desai, CEO of Aetna Better Health of Illinois, summed it up well: “Instant access to pediatricians is not just a convenience. It’s a step toward a healthier future for our children and less stress for their families.”
Summer Health’s founder and CEO, Ellen DaSilva, echoed that sentiment: “This collaboration helps us remove the roadblocks that keep families from getting timely care.”
What Summer Health Brings to the Table
Summer Health offers around-the-clock access to licensed pediatricians, with a response time that beats most pizza deliveries. Their team also includes specialists in areas like lactation, sleep, nutrition, and behavior. Bilingual support is built in, which makes a big difference for many families across Illinois.
Parents can enroll directly at summerhealth.com, where they’ll find help for common issues like coughs, fevers, stomach bugs, allergies, and more.
What’s Ahead
With this move, Aetna Better Health of Illinois and Summer Health are changing how families experience healthcare. They’re not adding another layer—they’re removing the wait, the drive, the cost, and the guesswork.
It’s fast. It’s free. And it’s already helping parents get answers when they need them most.
This is a practical step that meets families where they are—busy, overwhelmed, and short on time. And it might just be the model for what Medicaid pediatric care should look like across the country.
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For more reporting on this topic, see our Medicaid and CHIP news hub.