UCare: A Growing Force in MN Health Care

It has been another great year for UCare, the nonprofit health plan established 30 years ago by the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Membership for the plan grew by 20% over the last year and more than 100% over the last five years. While those percentages are astounding, they’re not surprising. UCare has been a dynamic force in Minnesota’s health care landscape since its formation.

The plan was originally created as a means to improve access to care for the underserved and increase the number of patients seen in University of Minnesota family medicine residency clinics. UCare President and CEO Nancy Feldman told the Star Tribune in a recent feature (published December 21, 2013) that the health plan has “a unique role in the market, bringing health care to those who have challenges getting it.” She continued, “We have always stayed focused on that mission.”

Until recently, UCare’s business has been government-funded programs, like Medicare, Medical Assistance, and Special Needs BasicCare (disability programs). UCare reports that it currently serves more people from diverse cultures and more people with disabilities enrolled in Medical Assistance than any other health plan in Minnesota.

In 2013, the plan joined Minnesota’s health insurance exchange MNsure, launching its first individual commercial products, dubbed UCare Choices. UCare saw this as an opportunity to provide continuity in coverage for individuals who may move between UCare’s government-funded and commercial plans, like members who lose eligibility for state Medical Assistance programs but are still lower income or early retirees who are not yet receiving Medicare.

UCare’s Medicare plan (UCare for Seniors) is available statewide and in 26 counties in western Wisconsin. Availability of its Medical Assistance and UCare Choices products varies by county, but more than 80% of Minnesota counties now offer more than one of UCare’s products. That’s a long way from the health plan’s initial offerings in just Hennepin and Dakota counties.

Since its beginnings, UCare has believed that primary care delivery plays an important role in the health of its members. UCare was investing in coordinating care long before it became a national movement. University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health head Macaran Baird, MD, MS, chairs the UCare Board of Directors; and, the department and UCare have remained connected through the years.

Ghita Worcester, UCare senior vice president of public affairs and marketing, remarked, “University of Minnesota family medicine residency clinics benefit from our members. And, UCare benefits from having a relationship with those who are on the ground serving our members and contributing to the education of the next generation of primary care providers.”

As of February 2014, UCare’s membership hit 377,000. The plan is on track to reach (and exceed) its 400,000-member milestone this year. UCare’s growth can only be described as explosive and encouraging.

Baird said, “We have enjoyed watching UCare grow and make a significant impact on underserved communities in Minnesota. We’re proud of our role in UCare’s beginnings, proud to be connected to a health plan that believes their members matter and desires to invest in quality and access of care.”