UnitedHealthcare and RUSH Health agree to multi-year Medicare Advantage relationship

UnitedHealthcare and RUSH Health have established a new relationship that will give UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan members network access to all RUSH Health locations in Illinois for the first time, effective immediately. This includes Rush University Medical Center, ranked among Illinois’ best hospitals for quality of care.

The multi-year agreement, effective Oct. 1, provides UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan members with enhanced access to quality care and provides a new option as they choose which health plan best meets their health care needs during the current Medicare Annual Enrollment Period.

“This new relationship will create greater access to the very best health care for more patients across the Chicago area and Northwest Indiana,” said Lisa Wagamon, president of RUSH Health. “We are pleased to be able to extend the reach of academic medicine to more patients and families, especially those who need care for serious and complex conditions.”

“Our new relationship with RUSH Health provides the people we serve throughout Chicago and the surrounding areas greater access to quality, affordable care,” said Tommy O’Connor, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement in Illinois. “We are grateful for the collaborative relationships we share with care providers like RUSH Health who are committed to improving the quality and cost of care.”

In Illinois, UnitedHealthcare serves more than 186,000 people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans with a network of thousands of physicians and other care providers statewide. The new relationship helps extend that reach.

RUSH Health is a clinically integrated network of physicians and hospitals that work together to provide high-quality, efficient health services. The health system covers the spectrum of patient care from wellness and prevention to disease and care management. At the system level, RUSH Health includes RUSH University Medical Center, RUSH Copley Medical Center, RUSH Oak Park Hospital, Riverside Medical Center and more than 140 physician practices.

The new agreement covers nearly all UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan types, with the exception of Medicare Advantage Access plans.