January 8, 2018

MedicareCompareUSA announced today a record-setting year in 2017 relative to new contracts signed and new Medicare helplines launched in partnership with some of the nations best-known and most widely respected hospitals and health systems coast to coast.

Quickly emerging as the leading company in its space, MedicareCompareUSA now has a strong presence in 20 states, including 12 new ones added in 2017. The company delivers an important and often missing link between healthcare providers and consumers by helping Medicare beneficiaries select a health plan that is accepted by their existing hospital and doctors. MedicareCompareUSA also serves as a vital resource to hospitals at the time of a “compelling event” – such as change in health plan contracts – in helping client hospitals retain desirable market share they have worked hard to build.

Hospitals and health systems who entered into partnership with MedicareCompareUSA in 2017 represent 146 facilities in key markets across the country and include Baptist Memorial in Tennessee, CHI Texas Division (CHI St. Luke’s Health and the alliance with Baylor College of Medicine), CHI Health (covering both Nebraska and Southwest Iowa), Hillcrest HealthCare System in Oklahoma, Providence Health (part of LifePoint Health) in South Carolina, Spartanburg Regional Health System in South Carolina, Tenet Health (nationwide), and Washington Regional Medical Center in Arkansas.

These new partners join MedicareCompareUSA’s national roster of clients that also includes SSM Health and St. Luke’s Hospital in St. Louis, Austin Regional Clinic, Emory Health System in Atlanta, Northeast Georgia Health System, Northwestern Medicine and Presence Health in Illinois, Prime Healthcare and Saint Luke’s Health System in Kansas City (Missouri), and Tennova Healthcare in Tennessee. MedicareCompareUSA also serves a number of healthcare providers in its own home state of Washington, including Capital Medical Center, CHI Franciscan, Island Hospital, Evergreen Health, MultiCare Health System, Northwest Physicians Network, Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, PeaceHealth, and Skagit Regional Health.

“MedicareCompareUSA has partnered with local hospitals and health plans throughout the country to establish toll-free helplines that connect consumers with independent agents right in their own community,” says company Founder and CEO Paul Gauthier. “These agents are extensively trained to assist Medicare beneficiaries in comparing and enrolling in Medicare plans in a totally unbiased manner, thus simplifying and streamlining what is often a very confusing and cumbersome process, particularly for those just turning 65.”

With more than 10,000 Americans aging into Medicare every day, Gauthier says that the need for this service has never been greater. “Many seniors have existing relationships with doctors and hospitals, and they want to make sure they have continued access once they go on Medicare,” he says. “Retaining these connections helps assure continuity of care and preserves the trusted relationship many patients have built up over time with their providers.”

In addition to providing assistance throughout the plan application and enrollment process, agents of MedicareCompareUSA communicate with members throughout the year regarding important news that may affect their access or health coverage. This includes providing health plan members an annual review of their Medicare coverage and assisting members affected by Medicare plan network changes that frequently occur on an annual basis.

Gauthier says that part of his company’s strategic growth in 2017 is a result of providers being faced with a “compelling event” such as termination of a health plan contract, a health plan leaving the market, or the disruption caused by heath plan mergers and acquisitions. This is forcing providers to communicate with their patients more proactively than ever before.

“Providers have realized that they can no longer sit on the sidelines and expect Medicare patients to just find them, especially in light of the aggressive marketing that is conducted by Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplemental plans,” says Gauthier. “Today it is more imperative than ever for providers to own the relationship with their patients, and that means having a proactive strategy for not just attracting new Medicare patients but – perhaps even more important – retaining current ones.

Toward that end Gauthier says that MedicareCompareUSA is already working on many exciting enhancements that will be introduced throughout 2018, all of which are being designed to align with the changing buying habits of patients and to further position a hospital as the undisputed “go-to” resource for all insurance information and needs.

“Because MedicareCompareUSA is not owned or managed by any Medicare insurance company, we can serve as an unbiased Medicare insurance advocate that consumers can turn to with confidence,” he says. “As a result, we expect continued growth nationwide in the new year as hospitals, medical practices and clinics increasingly consider us an indispensable part of a proactive patient-communication and population-management strategy.”