Missouri Care Signs Agreements with BJC HealthCare and Washington University Physicians to Serve Missouri's Medicaid Population

COLUMBIA, Mo. and TAMPA, Fla., July 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Missouri Care, Inc., a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. WCG, announced today that it has signed agreements with BJC HealthCare (BJC) and Washington University Physicians that give in-network coverage to Missouri Care's MO HealthNet Managed Care (Medicaid) members. These agreements include access to medical centers, community hospitals, physician clinics, urgent care centers, ambulatory care centers, skilled nursing facilities and other services and facilities owned by or affiliated with BJC and Washington University.

"These agreements with BJC and Washington University further support our efforts to partner with strong provider networks to provide the best care for our members," said Lou Gianquinto, president of Missouri Care. "Our members' health is our first priority, and our focus is ensuring they get the right care at the right time in the most appropriate setting."

Acute care services include, but are not limited to, maternity and infant care, children's care, emergency care, cancer care, behavioral medicine, cardiac care, neurology, orthopedics and rehabilitation in Missouri communities and regions served by BJC and Washington University. Members now have access to Boone Hospital Center, part of BJC, and its affiliated providers in Columbia, Mo. BJC hospitals in the St. Louis metropolitan area include Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Alton Memorial Hospital, Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital, Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, Christian Hospital, Missouri Baptist Medical Center and Progress West Hospital. BJC also includes Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital in Sullivan, Mo., and Parkland Health Center, with facilities in Farmington and Bonne Terre, Mo.

As of March 31, 2016, Missouri Care and WellCare serve approximately 130,000 members in Missouri, including 117,000 MO HealthNet Managed Care (Medicaid) members and 13,000 Medicare Prescription Drug members.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. WCG focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. The Company serves approximately 3.7 million members nationwide as of March 31, 2016. For more information about WellCare, please visit the Company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

About BJC HealthCare
BJC HealthCare is one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States, delivering services to residents primarily in the greater St. Louis, southern Illinois and mid-Missouri regions. Serving the health care needs of urban, suburban and rural communities, BJC includes 15 hospitals and multiple health service organizations. Services include inpatient and outpatient care, primary care, community health and wellness, workplace health, home health, community mental health, rehabilitation, long-term care and hospice.

About Washington University Physicians
Washington University Physicians are the primary care and specialist physicians who are members of the full-time faculty at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. They are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is a leading medical research, teaching and patient-care institution, and is currently ranked sixth in the nation by U.S.News & World Report.  Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.

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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.