ChristianaCare, Bayhealth and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware announce intention to offer Medicare Advantage products in 2022 through an innovative collaboration

Wilmington, Del. (July 20, 2021) — Delaware’s leading health organizations ChristianaCare, Bayhealth and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware announced today their intention to collaborate on improving the quality of care and reducing costs for seniors in Delaware by offering a Medicare Advantage plan for 2022, pending Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approval.

This groundbreaking venture with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware represents the first time that ChristianaCare and Bayhealth have collaborated with a health insurance company to offer Medicare Advantage to eligible Delawareans.

Pending regulatory approval, the new Medicare Advantage plan in Delaware will be available for enrollment this fall for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2022.

“ChristianaCare and Bayhealth are prominent health care providers in the areas of care coordination and outcomes, and they have strong ties to their communities. This collaboration will help increase access to care, enhance the provider-patient experience, and make way for new solutions to improve health for all seniors,” said Alexis Miller, market president, Federal Markets, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware.

When eligible, Delaware seniors are encouraged to enroll in the Medicare program, the federal health insurance program for seniors. Traditional Medicare is made up of four separate programs:  Medicare Part A covers hospital stays, follow-up nursing care after a hospital stay, hospice care and some in-home health care. Part B covers things like doctor visits, outpatient hospital services, ambulance services, mental health services, certain therapies, diagnostic services and preventive services. Part C is more commonly referred to as Medicare Advantage, and Part D covers prescriptions.

Medicare Advantage plans help eliminate some of the confusion of the different Medicare parts by consolidating coverage into one package. Medicare Advantage plans provide the same benefits as traditional Medicare such as hospitalizations, surgeries and drugs, but they also offer additional benefits like chiropractor visits, dental services and coverage for vision and hearing.

“Participation in a Medicare Advantage plan offers patients excellent care with affordable and predictable out-of-pocket costs, and enhances care coordination, preventive care and care for chronic conditions. ChristianaCare, Bayhealth and Highmark are working together to truly impact the health of Delaware seniors,” said Christine Donohue-Henry, M.D., ChristianaCare’s chief population health officer.

“We are working together with local health care partners to ensure access to efficient, affordable, and high-quality care for Delawareans, especially vulnerable populations like seniors. Serving individuals and the community is fundamental to our mission at Bayhealth,” added Gary Siegelman, M.D., Bayhealth’s senior vice president and chief medical officer. “We believe this collaboration is important, because it will support better coordination of care and increase our ability to help seniors manage their chronic conditions, so they can enjoy the important people and activities in their lives.”

This announcement follows a 10-year collaboration agreement signed by ChristianaCare and Highmark Health that is focused on affiliates of Highmark Health and ChristianaCare together innovating solutions to address current health care challenges and transform the whole health experience.

“Collaboration is at the heart of what we do,” said Nick Moriello, president of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware. “We look forward to collaborating with our colleagues at ChristianaCare and Bayhealth to provide personalized care that supports and improves not just health, but quality of life.”