SSM Health Brings New Individual Health Insurance Offering to St. Louis Area

Business Wire

WellFirst Health™ will be available starting with open enrollment this fall

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SSM Health will introduce a new, local option for individual health insurance to the St. Louis region this fall. WellFirst Health will offer individuals and their families access to coverage – with local providers and a health insurance plan working together to help each member achieve optimal health and wellness. Members will enjoy convenient, coordinated access to SSM Health’s comprehensive network of physicians, hospitals, outpatient and virtual care services in addition to other high-quality providers in the region.

WellFirst Health plans to offer individual and family insurance for sale both on and off the federally facilitated marketplace (also known as the ACA Marketplace). The coverage is projected to be available to residents in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County during the ACA Marketplace open enrollment period of November 1 to December 15, 2019. Coverage would be effective January 1, 2020.

“At SSM Health, we believe all people deserve access to high-quality health care services that are affordable and sustainable – and this is an important step in that journey,” said Laura Kaiser, President and Chief Executive Officer of SSM Health. “While SSM Health is already known for delivering high-quality patient-centered care, we’re pleased to be able to combine that with quality, community-based health insurance for individuals and families that enables more people to get the care they need.”

While this will be the health system’s first health insurance offering in St. Louis, SSM Health already owns and operates a health insurance organization in Wisconsin. Dean Health Plan has more than 35 years of experience in the Wisconsin health insurance market and serves more than 400,000 members. SSM Health will use this experience and expertise in integrating primary, acute and post-acute care services and pharmacy benefits with health insurance solutions to reduce costs, improve quality, and deliver a better, fully coordinated and personalized member and patient experience.

“We have all the pieces of health care in place at SSM Health to make improvements in the health care issues facing this country,” said David Fields, President of Dean Health Plan and WellFirst Health. “We can look at the entire process from care delivery to payment and drive positive change and cost savings in ways most other health systems can’t. We see this as a special opportunity to collaborate with members and patients in the St. Louis area.”

About SSM Health

SSM Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit health system serving the comprehensive health needs of communities across the Midwest through a robust and fully integrated health care delivery system. The organization’s nearly 39,000 employees and 11,000 providers are committed to providing exceptional health care services and revealing God’s healing presence to everyone they serve.

With care delivery sites in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, SSM Health includes 23 hospitals, more than 290 physician offices and other outpatient and virtual care services, 10 post-acute facilities, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a pharmacy benefit company, a health insurance company and an accountable care organization. It is one of the largest employers in every community it serves. For more information, visit ssmhealth.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

About WellFirst Health

WellFirst Health is a new insurance offering in the St. Louis Area, underwritten by SSM Health Insurance Company. Expertise for establishing and managing the new entity is provided by Dean Health Plan. Dean Health Plan is a full-service health insurance company founded in Madison, Wisconsin, serving more than 400,000 members in its home state. Established in 1983, Dean Health Plan is part of SSM Health, a St. Louis-based integrated health system. This relationship ensures the major components of health care delivery – physician, hospital and insurance – are working together to drive unnecessary costs out of the health care system while improving quality of care. For more information, visit wellfirstbenefits.com or find us on Facebook.