West Virginia University Medicine President and CEO Albert Wright views the health system's new insurance plan, Peak Health, as "the iPhone of health insurance" because it aims to replace traditional administrative layers between patients and providers, The State Journal reported Sept. 5.
"We want to take all the health system and payer components and we want to put it in one integrated process," Mr. Wright told the newspaper.
Morgantown-based WVU Medicine first announced the new plan in September 2021, with a launch date set for Jan. 1, 2023. The system's 30,000 employees and families will be the first to enroll starting in October.
WVU plans to invest $15 million for initial startup costs, with $10 million in annual operations costs expected. Peak Health claims will be processed using Epic, which manages WVU Medicine's EHR system.
By 2024, the system expects to begin working with small businesses and offering Medicare Advantage plans.
"Then a few years down the road we will look to be a Medicare managed care provider in the state," Mr. Wright told the Journal. "And maybe a PEIA (West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency) provider in the state if that's an option for us."