With open enrollment underway, Centene's Ambetter from Sunshine Health, the payer's ACA subsidiary in Florida, is adding Walmart Health centers to its preferred provider network.
The new partnership will rollout in Clay, Duval, Hillsborough, Orange, Osceola, Pasco and Seminole counties in Florida through the Ambetter Value Plan, and will initially focus on care coordination and referral management, according to a Nov. 1 news release.
This collaboration is an expansion of the existing relationship between Walmart Health and Ambetter. Earlier this year, Walmart Health centers offered resources for navigating Medicaid redeterminations and how to access marketplace coverage
"We're excited to offer Ambetter from Sunshine Health members quality care in one location, conveniently located adjacent to Walmart Supercenters where many members already shop for groceries and everyday essentials," Richard Fuchs, senior vice president of sales, strategy and innovation at Walmart, said.
First launched in 2019, Walmart Health centers offer primary and urgent care, labs, X-ray and diagnostics, behavioral health and dental services at 48 locations across Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois and Texas.
UnitedHealthcare and Walmart launched a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan in 2023, starting in Georgia. The plan is part of a 10-year collaboration that began at 15 Walmart Health centers in Florida and Georgia that are enabled by Optum's analytics and decision support tools. Eventually, the plan is to expand the partnership to additional markets and include coverage under commercial and Medicaid plans.