Who’s Your Insurance Carrier? WellNow May Make Big Network Changes in New York

Who's your health insurance carrier? WellNow Urgent Care may be making major changes in New York, threatening your options for health care.

WellNow Urgent Care Centers across New York may stop accepting insurance from Excellus Blue Cross and Blue Shield on January 1, 2024, if the company doesn't start paying fair rates for its care. And that's just the beginning. WellNow may need to start closing up shop soon.

If insurance companies like Excellus don’t start paying urgent care centers like WellNow more fairly, there’s also a very real threat that the center that serves your community might eventually need to close.

Excellus Facts

The New York Department of Financial Services granted Excellus permission to raise its premiums almost every year. WellNow claims that it has raked in the profits while failing to pay a fair rate to providers.

• Since 2017, Excellus’ profits have averaged around $130 million a year
• Since 2017, Excellus’ CEO salary has averaged more than $3 million annually
• Since 2017, New York has approved an average rate increase to Excellus’ patients of more than 8% per year
• Since 2017, the rate that Excellus pays WellNow for your care has stayed the same

Patients Over Profits

WellNow Urgent Care President Sam Meites said the lack of a fair rate threatens the care WellNow provides daily in the Communities these urgent care centers serve.

"They don't want to commit to reasonable rate increases that would help pay for the dedicated healthcare professionals who have worked proudly to meet New York's urgent care needs. That's Excellus placing pure profit over its members' care."

WellNow asks all Excellus Blue Cross/Blue Shield members to share their concerns on social media.

WellNow Urgent Care

There are more than 70 WellNow Urgent Care clinics in the Empire State, including 41 centers across Central New York.