UCare (www.ucare.org) is an independent, nonprofit health plan providing health care coverage plans and administrative services to more than 200,000 members.

UCare was created in 1984 by the Department of Family Practice and Community Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Today, UCare partners with health care providers, counties, and community organizations to create and deliver innovative health coverage for: Individuals and families enrolled in income-based Minnesota Health Care Programs, such as MinnesotaCare and Prepaid Medical Assistance Program, Adults with disabilities and Medicare beneficiaries with chronic health conditions, Minnesotans dually eligible for Medical Assistance and Medicare, Medicare-eligible individuals throughout Minnesota and in western Wisconsin.  

UCare addresses health care disparities and care access issues through its UCare Fund grants and a broad array of community and outreach initiatives. Delivering health care value is UCare’s top priority. UCare works to:

• Improve access to needed services by all members and the community-at-large.
• Bring high-quality care to every member.
• Demonstrate cost-effectiveness.
• Reinvest in the communities it serves.
• Enhance the health care infrastructure of the providers who care for UCare members.

Members of UCare’s UCare for Seniors Medicare Advantage plan gave it a 9 out of 10 for Overall Rating of Health Plan. This 2009 Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems (CAHPS) score is higher than the national average and all other Minnesota Medicare Advantage plans.

Moreover, UCare’s summary rating of health plan quality in 2009 was 4.5 out of 5 stars, as reported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This rating places UCare among the highest-rated health plans in Minnesota and the nation.

The health plan recently received a Top Workplaces 2010 honor from the Star Tribune.