WellCare of New York Signs Value-Based Agreement with Wyckoff Heights Medical Center

NEW YORK and TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare of New York, Inc., a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), announced today that it has signed an agreement with Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn.  To drive quality and improve health outcomes for Medicaid and Medicare Advantage members the value-based agreement will emphasize payments based on quality care, rather than the number or type of procedures completed.

"We are excited to partner with Wyckoff Heights Medical Center which shares our focus on providing high-quality health care for our members," said John J. Burke, WellCare's state president in New York. "This agreement demonstrates WellCare's ongoing commitment to improving the health and well-being of our members."

Under the arrangement, WellCare of New York will collaborate with Wyckoff Heights Medical Center's physicians to drive quality-based improvements in certain Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS^®) measures, a tool used by more than 90 percent of America's health plans to measure performance on important dimensions of care and service. The agreement utilizes quality and performance measures set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) five-star quality rating system, which assesses Medicare beneficiaries' experience with their health plans and the health care system.

"In an effort to continually enhance the quality of care provided to our patients, Wyckoff is proud to announce a value-based purchasing agreement with WellCare. By measuring performance and creating incentives for better care, Wyckoff will be able to meet its objectives of making the Brooklyn-Queens community we serve a healthier place to live, while appropriately reducing the cost of care. This agreement is consistent with the value-based contracting policy of Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Mr. Burke and I are fully supportive of this transforming payment methodology," said Ramon J. Rodriguez, Chief Executive Officer, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center.

Wyckoff Heights Medical Center is a full-service medical center with employed physicians and clinics that provides in-network coverage to WellCare's Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, Essential Plan and Child Health Plus members. The agreement provides access to health care services, including hospitals, labs, diagnostic imaging centers, primary care clinics, and home and community-based care services as well as dental services. 

As of June 30, 2017, WellCare of New York serves approximately 274,000 members in New York, including 143,000 Medicaid members, 74,000 Medicare Advantage plan members and 57,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. WellCare serves approximately 4.4 million members nationwide as of June 30, 2017. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.