Press Releases
Monday, July 01, 2019
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Uniontown Hospital announce Medicare Advantage agreement; multi-year commercial contract
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (July 1, 2019) — Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Uniontown Hospital announced today that the Fayette County-based health system will rejoin Highmark's Medicare Advantage networks, effective July 1.
"Our Medicare Advantage members choose Highmark for the wide range of benefits we offer and the provider networks that allows them to get the care they need close to home," said Ellen Galardy, Highmark's vice president of Senior Markets. "We are happy to once again have Uniontown Hospital in our Medicare Advantage network for our members in Fayette County."
The two organizations also announced a multi-year contract extension, which will ensure that Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield members with an individual policy or employer-based coverage will continue to have access to the quality care provided by Uniontown Hospital, including emergency, lab and imaging services, as well as cardiac care, women's health, bone and joint care and surgical services.
"These agreements will ensure that all Highmark members can access care at our hospital without having to wonder if we are in- or out-of-network," said Steve Handy, CEO of Uniontown Hospital. "We have a long history of open access and we are pleased to have been able to reach this agreement to be able to provide the high-quality, local care for Highmark Medicare patients in Fayette County."
In addition, Highmark members will continue to have access to the physicians and outpatient services available through Uniontown Hospital.
"Highmark is committed to working with community hospitals to support improvements in health care that will enable them to remain independent and will assure affordable access to quality medical care for its members in community-based settings," added Galardy. "In addition, such collaborations with community hospitals boost the economic vitality of the region and preserve stronger, more economically viable communities throughout western Pennsylvania."
ABOUT HIGHMARK BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD
Highmark Inc., doing business as Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, serves approximately 2.5 million members through the company's health care benefits business and hundreds of thousands of additional members through the BlueCard® program. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is the market leader in commercial market share, and through its affiliated Blue companies has strong Medicare Advantage market share as well. Through its affiliated Blue companies, Highmark is the largest and highest-rated Medicare Advantage program in Pennsylvania, and all of Highmark's Medicare Advantage plans have received a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services STARS quality rating of 4+ out of 5.0 STARS. In western Pennsylvania, its unaided brand awareness, brand preference and overall brand rating are significantly higher than its closest competitor. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield employs nearly 4,000 people in western, north central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.
ABOUT ABOUT UNIONTOWN HOSPITAL
Uniontown Hospital is a compassionate, dedicated community hospital providing a full range of medical care to residents of Fayette County and the surrounding areas for more than a century. Health care services provided at the acute and specialty care hospital include an award-winning Cardiology Department and catheterization lab and an award-winning Stroke Center. Additional services include emergency care, surgical care, rehabilitation services, wound healing, infusion services, laboratory and diagnostics.
For more information, contact:
Anthony Matrisciano
Highmark Health
570-200-6310
anthony.matrisciano@highmark.com
Josh Krysak
Uniontown Hospital
724-430-8634
krysak@utwn.org
