UVM Health Network and MVP Health Care Announce New, Innovative Medicare Advantage Plan to Transform Care for Older Adults
The UVM Health Advantage plan was guided by UVM Health Network doctors and direct feedback from residents of Vermont and Northern New York to meet their unique health care needs.
BURLINGTON, Vt. – The University of Vermont Health Network (UVMHN) and MVP Health Care (MVP) recently launched a new Medicare Advantage Plan, called UVM Health Advantage.
UVM Health Advantage is our region’s first Medicare Advantage plan created in collaboration between an insurer and a provider network. The plan’s benefits have been influenced by local doctors and more than 1,100 Medicare eligible heath care consumers of Vermont and Northern New York. UVM Health Advantage is already the highest rated plan in Vermont, with 4.5 out of 5 stars by Medicare for 2022. Enrollment in the plan began October 15, with coverage starting on January 1, 2022.
The input of community members and health care providers has helped shape a plan that is uniquely suited for older adults in Northern New York and Vermont and includes such benefits as:
- Members will have access to free Primary Care Physician visits, including annual check-ups, screenings, and sick visits.
- Through MVP’s comprehensive Medicare provider network, members have access to an extensive regional network of doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals, including the UVM Health Network, and world-wide emergency care and out-of-network care nationwide.
- Personal Care Guides will work one on one with members to ensure they receive the right care, and connect members to benefits like free rides to medical appointments and free meal delivery after a hospital stay.
- Comprehensive dental, vision and hearing benefits, including no cost routine eye exams and preventative dental services, and up to $1,000 every three years toward hearing aids.
- Wellness programs, including SilverSneakers® Fitness memberships and a wide range of special care management programs for diabetes, heart disease, and other issues.
- Virtual Care Services are available anywhere 24/7 for a $0 co-pay with Gia® by MVP. Gia’s virtual care services include emergency, urgent and everyday health care, as well as mental health, psychiatry and more. It can all be accessed from a smartphone, phone, tablet or computer. Patients may also access virtual care, when available, from their local provider.
“We set out to create an innovative, easy-to-use Medicare Advantage plan tailored to the distinct health care needs of Medicare-eligible residents in Vermont and Northern New York. UVM Health Advantage does exactly that, and it was shaped by Network providers our communities know and trust,” said John R. Brumsted, MD, President and CEO of The UVM Health Network. “The partnership between MVP Health Care and The UVM Health Network will have a positive impact on the health and well-being of those we serve.”
Medicare Advantage plans can offer coverage for services beyond original Medicare, such as vision, hearing or dental, as well as valuable well-being benefits. These plans are rapidly growing in popularity, with enrollment in Medicare Advantage doubling over the past decade, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“With a shared mission of creating innovative solutions and sustaining healthy communities, MVP Health Care and the UVM Health Network enthusiastically co-created a health plan that allows our members’ doctors and their health insurer to work together to support their health journey,” said MVP Health Care’s President and CEO, Christopher Del Vecchio. “By reinforcing vital patient-provider relationships, focusing on improving the lives of people in our communities, and leaning on the patient-centered missions of our two organizations, we will make health insurance more convenient, more supportive and more personal.”
This new partnership and Medicare Advantage plan aligns directly with both organizations’ existing health care reform efforts – including the Vermont all payer model – as it shifts the focus to wellness as much as illness, while controlling costs for members. Expert Care Guides are dedicated to helping members understand their health conditions and treatments and provide overall support by connecting them to the right combination of services to maximize comprehensive health and well-being.
For more information about UVM Health Advantage visit, www.uvmhealthadvantage.com.
For more information about MVP Health Care, visit www.mvphealthcare.com.
For more information about The University of Vermont Health Network, visit www.uvmhealth.org.
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About MVP Health Care
MVP Health Care is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit health insurer caring for members in New York and Vermont. Committed to the complete well-being of our members and the communities we serve, MVP Health Care makes health insurance more convenient, more supportive, and more personal. For more information, visit www.mvphealthcare.com, or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
About The University of Vermont Health Network
The University of Vermont Health Network is an academic health system that is comprised of six affiliate hospitals, a multi-specialty medical group, and a home health agency. We serve the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives. Our partners include:
- The University of Vermont Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice
Our 4,000 health care professionals are driven to provide high-quality, cost-efficient care as close to home as possible. Strengthened by our academic connection to the University of Vermont, each of our hospitals remains committed to its local community by providing compassionate, personal care shaped by the latest medical advances and delivered by highly skilled experts.