UCare Medicare Advantage plans extend to more than 300 additional seniors communities in Minnesota

More and more senior care providers in Minnesota are partnering with nonprofit health plan provider UCare to make Medicare Advantage plans available to residents.

UCare plans are already available to residents of over 160 communities operated by over 20 providers in Gopher State. The new UCare partners for 2022 are Bluestone Physician Services, CareChoice Cooperative, Fairview Partners and Lifespark. UCare’s first partner in these plans was Genevive, who provides primary care to a vast network of senior living and care communities.

With the addition of the new organizations, the UCare Advantage Choice and UCare Advocate Plus (HMO-ISNP) plans will be available to residents of more than 300 additional communities in 17 counties next year, according to a December 6 press release.

“We look forward to supporting aging Minnesota residents with this highly integrated, fully integrated and streamlined approach to their healthcare,” said Ghita Worcester, senior vice president of public affairs and chief marketing officer of UCare, in the communicated. “We continue to create a continuum of coverage for our members, wherever they live and at every stage of their lives. “

The inclusion of Lifespark among the new UCare partners is no surprise. UCare recently invested in Lifespark, a company that provides holistic services to seniors through value-based care arrangements.

At the time of UCare’s investment in Lifespark earlier this fall, approximately 6,000 UCare members were already using Lifespark services.

In May 2021, Lifespark (then known as Lifesprk) announced the acquisition of Tealwood Senior Living, with plans to “tear down the walls” to provide more coordinated services to residents, supported in part by Medicare Advantage offerings. .

Increasingly, special needs plans have been developed to meet the special needs of residents of retirement homes, with the aim of supporting more comprehensive care and services for this group – ultimately to reduce costs. health care while improving the well-being of older people.

Both UCare plans offer benefits such as primary care where the resident lives, improved dental coverage, a falls prevention kit and “comprehensive care focused on the unique medical and emotional needs of each member.”

Other signs of the growing importance of Medicare Advantage in retirement homes include the recent launch of SCAN’s “Embrace” product; the $ 300 million funding for AllyAlign Health, a company that partners with senior care providers launching their own plans; and the growth of operator-owned plans such as those of the Perennial Consortium.