Bright Health Announces Ohio Expansion in 2020 Including a New Collaboration with University Hospitals

Bright Health announced it has partnered with University Hospitals to offer Medicare Advantage plans to residents of the Cleveland and Akron areas in 2020. The company will also continue offering Medicare Advantage plans in Cincinnati, Toledo, Springfield, and Youngstown through its partnership with Mercy Health and will expand that partnership into six counties in the Lima area. Bright Health has received regulatory approval from the Ohio Department of Insurance and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to offer health plans during this fall’s Medicare Annual Election Period, which begins on October 15th.

Bright Health’s model features proprietary Care Partner Networks developed specifically for Ohio residents based on several criteria, including comprehensive care across specialties, geographic reach, quality of care and operational efficiency. Working in close collaboration with doctors in its Care Partner Network, Bright Health is able to engage proactively with members, including those with high-risk or chronic conditions, to improve health outcomes and reduce costs through coordinated, in-network care. For Bright Health members, this translates into the more personalized and affordable patient experience, including:

• Lower out-of-pocket costs
• Fewer readmissions and emergency room visits
• A reduction in duplicate testing
• Referral-free specialist visits

“At Bright Health, we believe the foundation of good healthcare is a strong relationship between people and their doctors,” said Bob Sheehy, Bright Health’s co-founder and chief executive officer. “By working hand-in-hand with physicians in our Care Partner Networks, we have removed the friction that typically exists between insurance companies and healthcare providers, so our members can focus on what really matters—their health.”