HAP expanding in West Michigan after launching Medicare Advantage plan earlier this year
DETROIT – Health Alliance Plan (HAP), a Michigan-based nonprofit health plan, is continuing its expansion into the West Michigan market with commercial coverage in 2021. HAP first entered West Michigan with HAP Choice Medicare, a physician-developed health maintenance organization (HMO) plan that enrolled 1,700 members in its first year.
“West Michigan represents HAP’s next step in building a comprehensive statewide network,” said Margaret Anderson, HAP senior vice president and chief sales and marketing officer. “We look forward to providing a competitive health insurance option on the west side of the state and expect this to provide a base for future expansion as we look to serve more Michiganders.”
Medicare Advantage
Last year, HAP teamed with a group of Mercy Health-affiliated physicians including a geriatrician, family practice physician and palliative care provider, with additional input provided by primary care providers and specialists. The collaborative process resulted in a new Medicare Advantage plan tailored specifically for West Michigan residents, HAP Choice Medicare.
HAP Choice Medicare allows members to choose from two plans: one with a $0 premium and the other with a $26 monthly premium. Both plans offer $0 deductibles, as well as $0 copays for primary care physician visits, outpatient diagnostic lab tests, an annual physical, routine eye exams and hearing exams. Both plans also offer optional dental coverage, which comes with a $0 deductible and which covers diagnostic and preventive services at 100%.
With HAP Choice Medicare, care is coordinated by a primary care physician, who has the flexibility to refer patients to any specialist in the HAP Choice network.
“HAP Choice Medicare is able to provide our members with easy access to primary care, tests, screenings and specialty care they need, while also giving them the confidence of knowing their care is being fully managed by their own primary care physician,” said Michael Genord, MD, HAP president and CEO.
Small group coverage
Coverage for small group policies begins in West Michigan on Jan. 1, 2021 and will provide employers on the west side of the state with another viable option for employee health insurance.
Customers told HAP what they wanted in small employer health plans, and HAP listened. HAP is offering West Michigan plans that are not only more affordable but also easy to understand, simple to use, and feature first-dollar coverage, meaning there are no deductibles when the insurer assumes payment for a covered event. HAP’s small group plans make care as accessible and affordable as possible.
As a result of its efforts, HAP’s 2021 small group plans are incredibly price competitive. PPO plans recorded a 7.55% decrease, which represents the largest small group rate decrease among all Michigan insurers. HAP’s HMO plans logged a 0.12 percent decrease.
“We know the COVID-19 pandemic took an enormous economic toll on small businesses, which are truly the heartbeat of Michigan’s economy,” said Anderson. “HAP worked tirelessly to design plans that would provide superior health care coverage and new care options, while also meeting the financial needs of small businesses as they recover from the economic disruption caused by the pandemic.”
Large group coverage
In addition to small group coverage, HAP will also launch large group plans in West Michigan on Jan. 1, 2021, for two types of policies: preferred provider organization (PPO) and exclusive provider organization (EPO), which uses a PPO provider network but does not include an out-of-network benefit.
The PPO and EPO products in West Michigan will use HAP’s existing provider network and the network partners of Grand Rapids-based ASR Health Benefits, a HAP-owned third-party administrator that helps employers provide quality health benefits plans to their employees at an affordable price.
In the first quarter of 2021, HAP also intends to request approval from state regulators to introduce HMO coverage to large employers in West Michigan.
With plans for small and large employer groups, HAP will bring competitiveness to a region that’s been in search of another quality coverage option for quite some time.
For more information on HAP’s product offerings in West Michigan, please visit www.hap.org or call 800-427-7587.
About Health Alliance Plan
Health Alliance Plan (HAP) is a Michigan-based, nonprofit health plan that provides health coverage to individuals and companies of all sizes. For 60 years, HAP has partnered with leading doctors and hospitals, employers and community organizations to enhance the health and well-being of the lives it touches. HAP offers a product portfolio with six distinct product lines: Group Insured Commercial, Individual, Medicare, Medicaid (through HAP Empowered Health Plan), Self-Funded and Network Leasing. HAP excels in delivering award-winning preventive services, disease management and wellness programs, as well as personalized customer service. HAP is an operating unit of Henry Ford Health System, one of the nation’s leading health care systems. For more information, visit www.hap.org.
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