Peak Health is planning its largest expansion to date in the Medicare Advantage market, more than doubling its potential footprint in its home state and moving into Pennsylvania for the first time.
“We’re looking to expand substantially. We will be increasing by nearly 20 additional counties in West Virginia, which will more than double the number of Medicare eligibles able to enroll in our product,” Ben Gerber, president and CEO of Peak Health, told Becker’s. “We are also entering two counties in southwestern Pennsylvania — Fayette and Greene — our first Medicare product offerings outside of West Virginia. We’ll be focused around our hospital there, Uniontown Hospital, and working with folks in that community to get the word out.”
The insurer, launched by Morgantown, W.Va.-based WVU Medicine and Huntington, W.V.-based Marshall Health in 2023, currently serves about 3,500 Medicare Advantage members. Its plans were designed to remain steady despite industrywide headwinds, Mr. Gerber said, noting the insurer avoided the “fat years” some payers experienced when care utilization dropped during the pandemic.
As national insurers pull back amid tighter margins and heightened regulatory scrutiny, Peak Health sees expansion as a strategic opportunity.
“Other health systems are getting skittish with their Medicare Advantage strategy and offerings and are wary of expansion,” Mr. Gerber said. “WVU Medicine is taking a much longer-term view of the market. We don’t think Medicare Advantage is going away. It already covers over 50% of the Medicare-eligible population, and it’s going to be more. Americans like these plans. Although it is cyclical, we think it’s here to stay and grow. We want to be part of it and provide great service.”
Peak Health’s expansion will take effect in 2026, with enrollment beginning this October.
