Looking ahead to our 2018 map
We’ve built an Oscar experience that’s unique in health care: deep integrations with hospitals and doctors; tools for members to find the right care; a data science operation that enables proactive clinical insights; personalized Concierge team service; and free, 24/7 virtual visits. And with Oscar for Business, the country’s first technology-driven health insurance for employers, we’re positioned to bring Oscar to Americans in new ways.
That’s why we’re excited to announce that we’ve filed to expand our diversified set of health insurance products into or within five states in 2018: Ohio, Texas, New Jersey, Tennessee, and California. We’ve also filed to continue selling Oscar for Business and Oscar for individuals and families on and off the exchanges in New York in 2018.
Why seek to expand in a time of uncertainty? We’re confident that when the dust settles, the market for health insurance will stabilize in time for 2018. For all of the political noise, there are simply too many lives at stake for representatives in Washington, D.C. not to do what’s right for the people.
Just as important, we’re focused on the long-term. The status quo in health care is unsustainable. People are demanding simpler, better, more affordable care. Oscar has a product that’s designed to deliver just that, and catalyze the right kind of changes in our system: raising the bar for member service; more transparency into what things cost and why; and erasing the friction between hospitals and insurers to give people a seamless, guided health care experience.
To that end, we’ll be working closely with states over the coming months to seek regulatory approval for the following expansions:
Ohio: We’re working with the Cleveland Clinic to sell integrated, co-branded individual health insurance – Cleveland Clinic | Oscar plans – in five counties in northeast Ohio for 2018.
New Jersey: We were privileged to serve individual Oscar members in New Jersey for two years in 2015 and 2016, and said last summer that we always hoped to return. Today, we have filed for approval to form a new New Jersey insurance company through which we hope to offer New Jerseyans located in 14 counties a competitive, quality product in 2018 for both Oscar for Business, our employer plans, and our individual products on and off the exchanges. It is our goal to be able to offer strong regional network coverage to New Jersey employers enrolled in Oscar for Business by including access to our New York network.
Texas: Texas is fast becoming one of our favorite states, both in terms of the quality of our provider partners and the enthusiasm for the Oscar experience. In 2017, we enrolled nearly 40,000 members in San Antonio. For 2018, we’re filing for expansion into the great city of Austin, Texas, as well as into greater San Antonio.
Tennessee: Nashville is laying claim to its status as the country’s capital in health care technology and innovation, and always seemed like a natural fit for Oscar. While it’s a completely new market for us, we’ll be working closely with regulators to see if we can deliver a competitive product in Nashville’s individual market, and are filing for expansion there in 2018.
California: For 2018, we’ll be seeking regulatory approval from DMHC and Covered California to expand into east Los Angeles County in both the individual market and for small businesses with Oscar for Business.
New York: For 2018, we’ve filed to continue serving individuals on and off the exchange in New York, as well as Oscar for Business for small business employers.