UniCare Health Plan in West Virginia Begins Serving SSI Beneficiaries who Qualify for Medicaid Benefits

Managed Care Weekly Digest

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Managed Care Weekly Digest -- UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia, the state's largest provider of Medicaid managed health care benefits, has launched services to new members who receive Social Security Income (SSI) benefits and are eligible to participate in West Virginia's Medicaid program. These new members can now access the enhanced coordination support and value-added benefits UniCare offers to its Mountain Health Trust and West Virginia Health Bridge members. The benefits include free health program memberships, 24-hour nurse help line support, gift card rewards for healthy behaviors and more (see also UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia, Inc.).

"UniCare is pleased to welcome the thousands of new West Virginians who have already joined and will be joining our family of Medicaid members," said Mitch Collins, president of UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia. "Our health plan has a proven track record of helping families and individuals to enhance their health and lives, and we look forward to expanding our services to contribute to even more positive health outcomes across our state."

In 2016, state regulators made the decision to transition West Virginia's Medicaid-eligible SSI beneficiaries from fee-for-service Medicaid to Medicaid managed care, and UniCare was one of six health insurers awarded a contract to provide statewide managed care services. The transition to managed care allows beneficiaries to access expanded benefits and services that were previously only offered to West Virginia's Medicaid-eligible families and children, and West Virginians who qualify for Medicaid Expansion benefits.

Medicaid-eligible SSI beneficiaries can select UniCare as their managed care services provider during the state's open enrollment period, which lasts through Jan. 15. Beneficiaries who do not select a managed care services provider will be assigned to one, but will have opportunities to change this assignment. To learn more about UniCare and its services, visit http://mss.unicare.com. To learn more about the West Virginia Medicaid program, visit www.dhhr.wv.gov/bms. ABOUT UNICARE HEALTH PLAN OF WEST VIRGINIA, INC. UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia, Inc. serves approximately 130,000 Medicaid beneficiaries living in West Virginia. Every day, members of the UniCare team can be found in West Virginia communities listening to our members, interacting with our health care providers and partnering with community-based organizations. UniCare has served Medicaid beneficiaries in West Virginia since 2003. For more information about UniCare, visit http://mss.unicare.com/, and follow the company on Twitter @UniCareWV. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170110005282/en/