WellCare and VillageMD to Offer In-Home Primary Care to Improve Care for Seniors in Houston

HOUSTON and TAMPA, Fla. and CHICAGO, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) and VillageMD, a leading national provider of primary care, announced a new multi-year partnership to provide in-home primary care for select WellCare Medicare members in Houston.

Through its Village@Home business unit, VillageMD is bringing its primary care-based clinical model to WellCare Medicare Advantage members who do not have convenient access to high-value primary care providers.  Village@Home will provide comprehensive primary care services integrated with pharmacists, nurses and social workers to meet the needs of homebound and medically complex seniors. VillageMD's team will coordinate all home-based care services and can monitor the patient in the home through biometrics and advancing technologies.

"At WellCare, we are committed to providing access to convenient, quality primary care to our members, and our partnership with VillageMD is yet another demonstration of that commitment," said Sue Podbielski, vice president of WellCare's Enterprise Network Performance. "VillageMD's primary care model has been shown to improve clinical outcomes while reducing total healthcare spend, which we hope will provide even greater value to our members in Texas."

Utilizing the VillageMD patent-pending docOS system, Village@Home providers will be able to anticipate and better address unmet member needs through a high-touch and coordinated care approach. Village@Home patients experience a 50% reduction in acute admissions and significant savings in total cost of care.   

"This is an important partnership to provide more local care and reach seniors where they are and when they need it most," said Tim Barry, CEO of VillageMD. "By bringing VillageMD's approach to care directly into the homes of seniors, we hope to help WellCare in its mission to help its members live better, healthier lives." 

"With 'no transportation' cited as a frequent problem for seniors who miss medical appointments, Village@Home helps ensure our members get the right care at the right time in the most appropriate setting. Greater access to healthcare has been related to better health status, more frequent use of preventative services and lower hospitalization rates," said Podbielski.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses primarily on providing government-sponsored managed care services to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, as well as individuals in the Health Insurance Marketplace. WellCare serves approximately 6.3 million members nationwide as of March 31, 2019. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com.

About VillageMD
VillageMD is a leading provider of health care for organizations moving toward a primary care-led, high-value clinical model. The VillageMD solution provides the tools, technology, operations, and staffing support needed for physicians to drive the highest quality clinical results across a population. VillageMD works with physician groups, independent practice associations, and health systems to improve quality, deliver a first-rate patient experience, and lower costs in the communities they serve. It has grown to include more than 2,500 physicians across eight markets, and is responsible for approximately 500,000 lives and $2.8 billion in healthcare spending. To learn more, visit www.villageMD.com.

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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.