CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Clinic continues its move into the insurance market with its newest partnership, a deal with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio.
Starting Sunday, Oct. 15, the Clinic will offer a Medicare insurance plan with Anthem called Anthem MediBlue Prime Select (HMO). Enrollment will be open until Dec. 7, and coverage will begin Jan. 1, 2018.
"In collaboration with Anthem, we will be able to work with patients across the state of Ohio, providing high-quality, coordinated care to help improve their health and well-being," Kevin Sears, executive director of market and network services for the Clinic, said in a news release.
The deal with Anthem is the Clinic's third integrated partnership with an insurance company and part of a nationwide trend among health systems and payers to collaborate on insurance.
Earlier this month, the Clinic announced it would offer two co-branded Medicare plans with Humana, a Louisville, Kentucky-based insurance provider. The Humana Cleveland Clinic Preferred Medicare Plans will include an HMO plan for those with Medicare and a plan for those eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
And in June the Clinic unveiled plans to offer co-branded individual insurance plans with Oscar Insurance Corp. - a New York-based health insurance tech startup run by Josh Kushner, Jared Kushner's brother - in five Northeast Ohio counties.
Likewise, University Hospitals in September announced co-branded Medicare plans with SummaCare.
In earlier interviews, the Clinic's Sears said partnerships with payers are an important part of the Clinic's future.
"Members will utilize Cleveland Clinic's network for most of their health care, giving them the continuity of care needed to achieve the best health outcomes possible," David McNichols, president of Anthem's Medicare central region, said in the release.
Under the Anthem MediBlue Prime Select (HMO) plan, members will not have a monthly premium, will have Medicare services and prescription drugs coverage and will have dental and vision coverage, an allowance for hearing aids, access to the SilverSneakers fitness program, in-home meals delivered after a discharge from the hospital, a quarterly stipen for some over-the-counter health products and access to a personal emergency response system.