Centene consolidating Medicare Advantage plan branding under Wellcare

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Key insurer Centene mentioned Thursday it will consolidate all of its Medicare Edge makes under its wholly-owned subsidiary, Wellcare. Centene obtained Wellcare Overall health Plans in January 2020 for about $17 billion.

Centene mentioned the transfer will superior align with the company’s method and build more powerful model recognition.

The insurer’s Medicare makes, which includes Allwell, Overall health Internet, Fidelis Care, Trillium Edge, Ohana Overall health Approach, and TexanPlus will grow to be one unified Medicare model under the Wellcare title.

What’s THE Impression

Since the acquisition, Wellcare’s Medicare footprint has grown, resulting in a number of Medicare Edge makes across 33 states. That was the main impetus powering the MA model consolidation method, which Centene senior movie president and CEO of Medicare Prosperous Fisher mentioned would end result in superior support for the company’s 1.1 million MA customers nationally.

The “model refresh,” as Centene phone calls it, also involves a new, modernized brand the firm hopes will express a new perception of optimism and buyer friendliness. The tone and voice of the model will also be much more clear-cut, the insurer mentioned, offering an much easier overall experience for customers.

Wellcare has available a range of Medicare products and solutions for much more than twenty a long time, which includes Medicare Edge and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, which present coverage over and above first Medicare. 

Now, the firm provides added benefits these kinds of as dental, listening to and eyesight solutions Flex cards to guide with co-pays transportation solutions telehealth visits wellness and health and fitness courses in-house assist solutions and particular supplemental added benefits for the chronically unwell.

THE Larger Development

When Centene very first obtained Wellcare, the mix was expected to crank out about $500 million of annual net expense synergies by the second 12 months, and a press was built to deal with the social determinants of wellness these kinds of as foodstuff insecurity, housing instability, homelessness, unemployment, absence of access to transportation and other non-professional medical boundaries to wellness.

It really is not the only acquisition Centene has built in the latest a long time. In January it agreed to purchase Magellan Overall health for $2.2 billion the corporations mentioned the offer will permit superior wellness results at decreased total professional medical prices through integrated options, and generate opportunities to expand Centene’s specialty treatment enterprise with increased solutions, new product or service development and added 3rd bash associations.

Not all of Centene’s subsidiaries have experienced a smooth go of it. In March, Ohio Attorney Typical Dave Yost filed a lawsuit in opposition to the insurer, alleging that firm subsidiary Buckeye Overall health Approach utilized a web of subcontractors for the provision of pharmacy added benefits to misrepresent pharmacy prices, resulting in millions of bucks of overpayments by the Ohio Office of Medicaid.

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