Published: July 19, 2017
Bay Area Employees Have New Choice for Health Coverage
Western Health Advantage Expands Service Area with Canopy Health Agreement
Bay Area employers will have an opportunity to receive outstanding healthcare at an affordable cost, thanks to a new agreement between Canopy Health and Western Health Advantage. HMO benefit plans for employer group health coverage from Western Health Advantage (WHA) will offer access to the Canopy Health alliance of providers and hospitals effective January 1, 2018, subject to regulatory approval.
Canopy health is a physician- and hospital-owned healthcare alliance with more than 4,000 participating physicians and 13 hospitals and numerous urgent care centers located across seven Bay Area counties (Marin, Sonoma, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, and San Mateo). WHA members will be able to select their primary care physician from a large list of reputable providers within the Canopy Health network of medical groups and then have referral access to any of Canopy’s more than 3,000 specialists regardless of medical group affiliation. Collaborative care and innovative member technology is the core focus of the new healthcare alliance at Canopy Health.
The agreement with Canopy Health will expand WHA’s service area to four new counties in the Bay Area. Currently serving employers in Marin, Sonoma and Napa, Western Health Advantage will expand into San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Mateo counties. This will bring WHA’s coverage to 13 Northern California counties, with a provider network of more than 5,800 doctors in eight medical groups and 25 hospitals and major medical centers. WHA is a non-profit HMO offering benefit plans to the group health insurance market, individuals, and families in Northern California since 1996.
“This is a really exciting opportunity for both Canopy Health and Western Health Advantage,” says Joel Criste, CEO of Canopy Health. “Our goal has always been to create the most accessible and transparent network in the Bay Area, and we feel this new relationship will allow us to exceed our goals in every way.”
“WHA is excited to join Canopy Health and their new healthcare alliance of high-quality providers and hospitals. We welcome the opportunity to bring enhanced access to small and large businesses in the Bay Area at a cost that fits company budgets,” said Garry Maisel, president and CEO of Western Health Advantage.
The Canopy Health network continues to expand and is currently comprised of:
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Alameda Health System
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Hill Physicians Medical Group
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John Muir Health/John Muir Physician Network
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Muir Medical Group IPA
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Marin General Hospital
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Meritage Medical Network
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San Ramon Regional Medical Center
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Sonoma Valley Hospital
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UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals
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UCSF Health
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Washington Hospital Healthcare System
Employers interested in learning more about health coverage from Western Health Advantage and Canopy Health should contact their insurance broker or visit canopyhealth.com or westernhealth.com/canopyhealth.
About Canopy Health
Incorporated in March 2015 as an affiliation between UCSF Health and John Muir Health, Canopy Health aims to provide a top-quality continuum of care across the San Francisco Bay Area through affiliations with primary care providers, community hospitals, top-tier academic medical facilities and medical groups. In addition to its founding members, Canopy Health currently includes three physician groups as shareholders—Hill Physicians Medical Group, Muir Medical Group IPA and Meritage Medical Network—representing more than 4,000 physicians in the Bay Area. Canopy Health currently has thirteen participating medical centers. As a restricted-license Knox Keene Health Plan, Canopy Health contracts with fully-licensed commercially available health plans to offer competitively-priced insurance products to Bay Area consumers. Since August of 2016, Canopy Health has been available to University of California employees and dependents exclusively within Canopy Health’s licensed service area. The Emeryville-based network is licensed in all or parts of Marin, Sonoma, Solano, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Mateo Counties. Visit canopyhealth.com for more information.
About Western Health Advantage
Headquartered in Sacramento, Western Health Advantage is a non-profit HMO health plan founded in 1996 with a community-based mission by doctors and health care providers. WHA currently serves more than 135,000 members, with annual premium revenue exceeding $750M. With a focus on being a market leader in affordability since 1996, WHA will now serve 13 Northern California counties (Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, Yolo, Colusa, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa). The WHA provider network will grow to include 25 hospitals and major medical centers and 5,800 doctors and specialists from eight medical groups. For more information, visit westernhealth.com.