CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — WVU Medicine announced in September that a new Medicare Advantage coverage option for West Virginia seniors would begin enrollment in October. Now, seniors 65 and older are eligible to get involved with the health insurance service that is developed by West Virginia physicians.

Patients will have the ability to choose what plan they feel is best for them, officials said. Peak Health offers a lot of the same services that other Medicare Advantage Plans offer, but this insurance also allows WVU Medicine physicians to be more involved in the decisions that are usually made by your insurance companies.

With the insurance comes and integrated delivery and finance system, which will have the patients’ providers and insurance company all on the same platform. Officials said that patients will be able to log onto MyWVUChart and line up their services with the insurance bill.

Officials said that Peak Health gives senior patients a more “homegrown” option that is developed by the physicians and doctors they see every day. And because the headquarters is located in Morgantown, problems be taken care of much quicker than with a company insurance.

The health system developed Peak Health after years of gathering feedback from its patients, and now, more than 30,000 WVU Medicine employees and family members are already covered by Peak Health insurance. This means that there has been time to fix any problems, so they are now starting with senior patients.

Dr. David F. Hess told 12 News that one of the greatest advantages of Peak Health Insurance is the $250 flexible spending account attached to it. This would help in purchasing items like test strips for diabetic medication and other healthcare items that can get expensive over time.

Right now, the insurance is being rolled out for senior patients only. There were no promises by the UHC President and CEO that the insurance would be expanded to non-senior patients. However, he left some hope when he said, “if it continues to go well, we will see where it goes with Peak Health.”

“I’ve been a physician now for over 20 years of primary care, and I’ve heard over and over from my patients,” Hess said. “It’s so complicated, insurance is so complicated, and I don’t understand my bills, I’m not getting bills.”

The open enrollment period has now begun. Dr. Hess mentioned that if you like your WVU Medicine physician and you want to be able to access your bills, what was paid, and have that all located in one place, you can enroll in Peak Health at their website.