Pharmacy Concierge eliminates $17 million in unnecessary spending at Univera Healthcare
May 27, 2025
Univera Healthcare’s Pharmacy Concierge program was initially designed to focus on improving member care. If the program slowed growth in drug spending, that would be an added benefit. The health plan’s metrics show the Upstate, N.Y.-based health plan...
Demystifying health insurance premiums
June 10, 2025
Rising health care costs can be frustrating and create financial difficulties. Increases in cost and demand for care are causing higher premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs nationwide. Expensive prescription drugs, increases in outpatient...
New educational videos help members use Find a Doctor and Estimate Medical Cost tools
June 10, 2025
We understand how important it is to plan ahead and make informed decisions about your care. Our new educational videos are designed to help you get the most out of our Find a Doctor and Estimate Medical Costs tools. These short, easy-to-follow videos...
One call helped Frank lower his drug costs
September 9, 2024
For Medicare member Frank Pecora, making a call to the health plan’s Customer Care team meant finding medications he could afford. The 75-year-old is one of thousands of members who call the Customer Care number on the back of their membership card...
Univera Healthcare and WellBe Senior Medical collaborate to bring in-home care to those in need
September 6, 2024
Univera Healthcare is teaming up with WellBe Senior Medical, an independent company, to help some of our Medicare Advantage members. This program will bring care right to the homes of members who need it the most. These members often have several health...
Univera Healthcare partners with REACH Kidney Care to improve chronic kidney disease management
August 14, 2024
Univera Healthcare members with stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) may be eligible for a new program, REACH Kidney Care, that helps improve their care and quality of life, while delaying the need for costly interventions such as dialysis or...
Get ready for peak flu season: Get your flu vaccination
November 1, 2024
By Lorna Fitzpatrick, MD, vice president of medical affairs and senior medical director, Univera Healthcare It’s easy to take a casual approach to flu season when the weather is still nice. Fall in Western New York is a great time of year, when more...
Medicare recognizes Univera Healthcare for quality
October 10, 2024
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its 2025 quality ratings, and again this year recognized Univera Healthcare for its Medicare Advantage plans. This is the 12th consecutive year the health plan has ranked above average or...
Univera Healthcare earns accreditation from NCQA
November 2, 2024
Univera Healthcare once again earned accreditation across all of its health insurance products from the National Committee for Quality Assurance for 2024, earning four out of five stars. NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving...
Unlocking the mystery of health insurance premiums
September 11, 2024
We understand that rising health care costs can create difficulties for you. Expensive prescription drugs, increases in outpatient procedures, and high-cost hospital care are challenging patients, doctors, businesses, health plans, and the entire...
In-network vs. out-of-network care
September 6, 2024
When you go to a healthcare provider that is "out-of-network," it means they don’t accept your insurance. This usually means you'll have to pay more for the same services compared to using an "in-network" provider, who does accept your insurance. ...
Negotiated rates and the cost of care
September 9, 2024
What is a negotiated rate and why does it matter? When a provider is “in-network” this means they accept your insurance. A provider can be an individual doctor, a hospital or facility, or a larger health system. The amount your health insurance pays...
Health plans and New York delegation call on Congress to protect older adults in upstate New York
April 9, 2025
Several not-for-profit health plans are calling on Congress to protect older adults in upstate New York. Univera Healthcare, CDPHP and MVP Health Care have come together to urge elected officials to pass bipartisan legislation that will protect Medicare...
Don’t fall for health care related schemes
November 6, 2024
Scammers may try to trick you to share your private information. At this time of year when many people are re-enrolling in health care coverage, we see that scammers increase their activity, so Univera Healthcare has several tips to help you avoid...
Univera Healthcare names recipients of 2024 Health Equity Innovation Awards
January 13, 2025
Univera Healthcare is excited to announce the recipients of its Health Equity Innovation Awards. These awards provide funding to community-based organizations to support community programs focused on combating racial and ethnic health disparities. ...
Avoid the silent killer
February 1, 2024
More than 120 million Americans have high blood pressure according to the CDC and 11 million of them don’t know it. If left untreated, high blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. February is...
Mental health is top of mind at Houghton University
December 7, 2023
Houghton University recently received a 2023 Health Equity Innovation Award from Univera Healthcare to provide on-campus mental health and wellness activities for its students. A small private Christian-centered, liberal arts university located...
Univera Healthcare earns 85 percent in Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-24 Corporate Equality Index
November 30, 2023
Univera Healthcare has received a score of 85 percent out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to...
Seasonal depression and the holiday blues
November 13, 2023
Some people love the cold weather months. For others, this time of year leaves them feeling sad, depressed or even lonely. Geoffrey Hopkins, MD, senior medical director of behavioral health at Univera Healthcare, answers some questions about the...
Vaccines for COVID-19, flu, and RSV are available
What to know to be protected this fall and winter | October 20, 2023
This fall, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all Americans consult with their health care provider about receiving vaccines for COVID-19 and seasonal influenza (flu). In addition, an RSV vaccine may be recommended by...
Health insurer awards hospitals $28 million for quality improvements
October 31, 2023
Thirty-one upstate New York hospitals and health centers earned a combined $28 million in quality improvement payments from the Rochester-based health insurer that includes Univera Healthcare in Western New York. The funds are part of the nonprofit...
Nonprofits can now apply for Univera Healthcare Health Equity Innovation Award funding
August 14, 2023
Univera Healthcare is once again inviting nonprofit organizations to apply for 2023 Health Equity Innovation Award (HEIA) funding. The awards help fund health and wellness programs that address racial and ethnic health disparities in upstate New York....
Applications being accepted for Health Equity Innovation Award funding
September 5, 2024
Univera Healthcare is accepting applications for its 2024 Health Equity Innovation Awards, which provide funding to community-based organizations to support health and wellness programs that address racial and ethnic health disparities in Western New...
Univera Healthcare named to Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion
July 16, 2024
For the second consecutive year, Univera Healthcare was named to the Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion. Univera Healthcare received a top score of 100% on the 2024 Disability Equality Index®, a national benchmarking survey by Disability:IN...
Be safe outdoors - What you need to know about Lyme disease
July 10, 2024
Summer is a time to work in the garden, visit the dog park, or hit the bike path. It is also a time to be aware of tick-borne illnesses including Lyme disease, and ways to avoid them. Infected ticks can be found across the Northeast, including in...
Join the movement - Help grow the blood stem cell donor registry
October 18, 2023
Each year in the U.S., more than 18,000 people are diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers or other blood disorders that could be cured or treated with a blood stem cell transplant, according to Be The Match/the National Marrow Donor Program. For...
Overuse of antibiotics has deadly results
January 7, 2024
Antibiotics are powerful tools used to treat patients with life-threatening infections, cancer, organ transplants, severe burns, and trauma, but they are being overprescribed and not being taken as directed, which is causing them to be less...
The right meds at the best value
November 7, 2023
A Univera Healthcare program is focusing on medication safety while saving millions of dollars in prescription drug costs. The program, Pharmacy Concierge, is available to most midsize and large employers through the health plan. “Improving care is the...
Univera Healthcare appoints Senior Vice President and General Counsel
July 1, 2024
Univera Healthcare appointed Megan Gomez, Esq. to the position of Senior Vice President, General Counsel. She previously served as Vice President and Senior Deputy General Counsel. Gomez joined the company in 2007. Gomez is a graduate of Mount...
Upstate NY health plans support legislation to defend Medicare Advantage plans for seniors
June 25, 2024
Upstate New York health plans are showing their support for recently introduced bipartisan legislation to protect benefits and access to care for hundreds of thousands of people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans in upstate New York. Univera...
Supporting a century of compassion in East Buffalo
June 20, 2024
For over 100 years, St. Gerard’s Parish was the center of Buffalo’s Bailey Delavan neighborhood, where families could come together as a community. Although the final mass was held in 2008, the site’s century-long outreach to its surrounding East...
Skipping your meds is costly, possibly deadly
May 13, 2024
Medication adherence is the fancy term for taking medications as directed. You might assume that patients always adhere to the instructions they’re given when it comes to their meds, but that’s not the case. According to the CDC, 20% to 30% of...
Osteoporosis: Make no bones about it, you may be at risk
April 30, 2024
Osteoporosis affects every gender, race, and ethnicity. If you are 65 years or older and you broke a bone that wasn’t the result of a fall, car accident, or other obvious trauma, there’s a good chance it was related to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis...
Statins: A powerful ally for people living with diabetes
June 4, 2024
If you are living with diabetes, you may already know you are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who have diabetes are...
The Lifetime Healthcare Companies, CDPHP announce planned affiliation
May 22, 2024
Two of New York’s leading not-for-profit health care companies are teaming up to improve the quality, experience, and affordability of care for residents across the state. The Lifetime Healthcare Companies, the parent company of Univera Healthcare and...
