MultiCare Launches Medicare Advantage Plan, Pursues Payvider Model
MultiCare Health System launched MultiCare Health Plan in October, a Medicare Advantage HMO with drug coverage serving Pierce, Thurston and Spokane counties in Washington, targeting a few thousand members in its first year. CFO James Lee said the move reflects a decade-long population health strategy built around clinically integrated networks and its stake in Physicians of Southwest Washington, which will support the new plan and already underlies capitated contracts covering 400,000 lives. The launch follows MultiCare's Nov. 1 merger with Samaritan Health Services, which exited the MA market for 2026 but still offers Medicaid and D-SNP products; Samaritan's plans will move under MultiCare's finance division with no changes through 2027. Ten health system-affiliated insurers are among 18 total plans exiting the MA market in 2027, a trend MultiCare's launch runs counter to.