For the first time, UCLA Health has created a Medicare Advantage Plan to provide eligible individuals comprehensive health care coverage and convenient access to care supported by one of the nation’s leading health systems.
The UCLA Health Medicare Advantage Plan includes 7,000 in-network physicians, specialists, hospitals and clinics comprising UCLA Health and select independent physician associations and medical groups providing patient-centered care. The HMO plan was designed by doctors to streamline the member experience for Medicare-eligible residents.
“We have been providing comprehensive, leading-edge medical services for more than six decades – from preventive visits to advanced treatments – and we are proud to now offer insurance coverage to Medicare-eligible residents of Los Angeles County,” said Johnese Spisso, president of UCLA Health and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System.
UCLA Health conducted extensive patient research and tapped into its experience with private insurers to design a plan that delivers exceptional member support and personalized services.
“Because we understand every touchpoint in a patient’s care journey, we are able to focus on minimizing obstacles frequently encountered by insurance plan members and on improving the overall member experience,” said Dr. Samuel Skootsky, chief medical executive of the UCLA Health Medicare Advantage Plan. A practicing internal medicine specialist for more than 40 years, Skootsky helps lead the team that developed the plan.
The UCLA Health Medicare Advantage Plan features two affordable price points, each with no co-pay for primary and specialty care visits and no deductibles. The plan is available to both newly eligible Medicare recipients and those currently enrolled in traditional Medicare plans and Medicare Advantage plans offered by private insurers.
Detailed information about the UCLA Health Medicare Advantage Plan is available at UCLA Health Medicare Advantage Plan.
The Medicare annual enrollment period is Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2024, when people can join, drop or switch plans. People enrolled in Medicare Advantage have another chance to make changes during the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period from Jan. 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025. Medicare-eligible individuals may also make changes throughout the year if they meet the criteria for a special enrollment period, such as when they turn 65, if they move, or if they lose coverage.
For the convenience of members, the UCLA Health Medicare Advantage Plan has more than 400 in-network locations, including UCLA Health hospitals and clinics.
UCLA Health is an integrated network of primary and specialty care services at more than 280 clinics across Southern California and the Central Coast and at five medical centers and hospitals – Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA, UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center and UCLA West Valley Medical Center.
For 35 consecutive years, UCLA Health hospitals have earned a place on the U.S. News & World Report national honor roll, a distinction reserved for only 20 hospitals or systems providing the highest-quality care across multiple medical specialties. In 2024, UCLA Health ranked #1 in both California and in Los Angeles.*
*Tied for #1 ranking