Gateway Health Plan^Ò Signs New Agreement

With Cleveland Clinic Hospitals
 

PITTSBURGH, PA (October 27, 2008) – Gateway Health Plan^Ò announced today that it has signed an agreement with Cleveland Clinic Hospitals, adding the health system to the Gateway Health Plan Medicare Assured^SM managed care network in Ohio. Gateway Health Plan Medicare Assured^SM is a Medicare approved Special Needs Plan for Ohioans who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.

Under the agreement, effective October 1, 2008, Gateway Health Plan Medicare Assured^SM members living in the 12 county area in which Gateway serves may now receive covered services from Cleveland Clinic facilities.  The new contract focuses on three Cleveland Clinic Hospitals: Huron, Lakewood and Lutheran. With this agreement, Gateway Health Plan^Ò adds practitioners in 80 clinical specialties and subspecialties.

“We’re very excited to announce the addition of Cleveland Clinic Hospitals to the Gateway Health Plan Medicare Assured^SM network,” said Michael Blackwood, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gateway Health Plan^Ò, Inc. “Gateway aims to offer its members access to a broad network of high-quality doctors and hospitals. This agreement significantly strengthens our network in the Cleveland area.”

Cleveland Clinic health system is an integrated health system consisting of an academic medical center, community hospitals, family health centers, ancillary services and professional practitioners.  Gateway Health Plan^Ò members assigned to a primary care physician affiliated with Huron, Lakewood and Lutheran Hospitals will have access to Cleveland Clinic.  Cleveland Clinic is ranked as the fourth overall “Best Hospital” and within the Top 25 for various adult and pediatric medical specialties, according to USNews & World Report/NCQA’s  “America’s Best Hospitals 2008.”

Gateway Health Plan^Ò is a managed care delivery system that provides service to more than 244,000 members eligible for medical assistance.  Established in 1992 as an alternative to Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare's Medical Assistance Program, Gateway Health Plan^Ò currently operates in 39 counties in Pennsylvania.  In January 2006, Gateway Health Plan Medicare Assured^SM, a Special Needs Plan for Pennsylvanians who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, was launched and is now one the largest Medicare program for the dual-eligible population in the nation with nearly 24,000 members. Gateway Health Plan Medicare Assured^SM is offered to Ohioans living in a 12 county service area.