Tuesday, July 21, 2026
PITTSBURGH (July 21, 2026) — Highmark Wholecare and WellSpan Health today announced a groundbreaking program within their new value-based care agreement. The WholeCommunity program directly reinvests in local communities by dedicating a joint pool of funds each year to community based organizations (CBOs). The funds are provided to the CBOs before any shared savings between Highmark Wholecare and WellSpan are realized.
The unique structure of the program creates a virtuous, human-centered cycle, where CBOs can receive funding based on the performance of the program. These additional resources empower CBOs to further support the health and well-being of community members and WellSpan patients, improving member and patient health, enhancing the program's overall success and reinforcing WellSpan’s commitment to patient quality measures.
The contract — the first of its kind for Highmark Wholecare and WellSpan — went into effect Jan. 1, 2026. First round of funding to the CBOs through the WholeCommunity program will occur in Q3 2026. The program impacts nearly 40,000 Highmark Wholecare members treated by WellSpan Health.
“Our members often struggle with health-related social needs that many of us take for granted, such as reliable transportation and access to healthy food,” said Victor Fields, president and CEO, Highmark Wholecare. “Along with our provider partners, we rely on grassroot nonprofits and community organizations to address these critical barriers to health and well-being for our members.”
WholeCommunity program funds will be distributed through a seven-person committee consisting of three Highmark Wholecare representatives, three delegates from WellSpan and a representative from a Central, Pa.-based CBO selected by Highmark Wholecare and WellSpan. The two healthcare organizations will initially fund the WholeCommunity program to ensure dollars are available this year to address timely community needs. Nonprofits and community organizations must operate within WellSpan’s service area to be eligible for program funds. Fund dollars will be distributed using a grant format. Community organizations receiving grants will be required to provide progress reports including health outcome data to ensure proper results are achieved. Community organizations and nonprofits will be solicited for applications beginning Q3 2026 with the first round of 2027 awardees selected in Q4.
Fields added: “By prioritizing direct investment in these trusted organizations, we are not just sharing risk; we are strategically building a healthier ecosystem. This model ensures that as our value-based care initiatives succeed, the benefits flow directly to the local organizations that are best positioned to support a communities’ holistic needs, fostering a truly integrated and sustainable approach to wellness.”
This work complements the ongoing community investments that Highmark and WellSpan support each year.
In 2025, Highmark Health and its affiliates had more than $1.3 billion in community impact. This included $763 million of charitable and uncompensated care through Allegheny Health Network and more than $56 million in corporate and foundation giving, supporting nonprofits and programs that reached neighbors across our footprint. It also included $569 million in strategic investments that improved access to care and quality and delivered economic benefits for local communities.
WellSpan supports nearly 60 local nonprofits through its community grants program, providing more than $2.5 million in fiscal year 2025 through initiatives focused on food access, housing, children's health, mental well-being and access to care across Central Pennsylvania. In addition to these grants, WellSpan provided more than $22 million in charity care and $364.7 million in community benefit, as detailed in its Community Impact Report.
Payer-provider value-based contracts are designed to align compensation with patient well-being. In value-based shared savings contracts, the insurance plan and the hospital / physician office share any savings generated by keeping patients healthy, but only if they meet patient quality measures such as how well individuals are managing chronic conditions. In shared risk value-based shared savings programs, the hospital / physician office assumes additional financial responsibility if care costs go higher than expected.
Highmark Wholecare and WellSpan Health signed their first value-based contract in 2018 and have expanded the scope and impact of their value-based relationship in the ensuing years.
About Highmark Wholecare
We believe in caring for the whole person in all communities where the need is greatest. We see a future in which everyone has equal opportunity to achieve their best health. Through our leading Medicaid and Medicare programs, we are coordinating health care that goes beyond doctors and medicine that helps members achieve not just physical health but also delivers whole person care. Our team members are helping to drive this new kind of health care for our 325,000 Medicaid and Medicare members in collaboration with a network of 29,000 primary care physicians, specialists, hospitals, and other ancillary providers. We are also committed to supporting our neighbors through our many community outreach and engagement programs.
For more information, contact
John Pepper
Highmark Wholecare
412-951-1533
John.Pepper@highmarkhealth.org
