ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Capital Blue Cross is launching a new health plan option in collaboration with St. Luke’s University Health Network that will help Lehigh Valley employers better manage health care costs while ensuring their employees receive high‑quality care from one of the nation’s top-performing health systems.

Valley Advantage EPO will help employers control rising health care expenses. It aligns the strength of Capital Blue Cross’ benefits and care management programs with St. Luke’s network of outstanding providers, which ranks No. 1 in the United States for quality, safety and patient experience, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“Capital Blue Cross and St. Luke’s share a mission to put people first – delivering exceptional service, expanding access to high-quality care, and strengthening the health of the communities we serve,” said Todd Shamash, president and CEO of Capital Blue Cross. “With St. Luke’s nationally recognized as No. 1 in quality, safety and patient experience, this collaboration gives Lehigh Valley employers and their employees confidence they’re getting outstanding care, close to home, at an affordable cost.”

The plan is now available to employers in Lehigh and Northampton counties with more than 100 employees and will be available to companies with fewer than 100 employees in 2027.

“St. Luke’s has long been recognized for delivering exceptional care at a lower cost than competitors,” said Rick Anderson, president and CEO of St. Luke’s University Health Network. “The collaboration between Capital Blue Cross and St. Luke’s allows us to offer employers in the Lehigh Valley a plan that enables access to high‑quality care that is more affordable.”

With employer‑sponsored medical and Rx coverage projected to increase by 8.4% in 2026, Valley Advantage EPO gives employers a clearer path to managing those costs with rates that are lower than Capital’s standard PPO plan.

Other key features of the EPO plan include:

• A value-based care model that prioritizes care quality, outcomes and efficiency.
• Simplified access to care across St. Luke’s network of 16 hospital campuses and more than 350 provider office locations.
• No referrals required for in-network services.
• Wellness credits for eligible businesses with more than 100 employees.

Employers looking to decrease costs while ensuring their employees have access to high-quality care should contact their Capital Blue Cross account executive or health plan consultant.

About St. Luke’s

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network with annual net revenue of more than $4.5 billion. With 23,000+ employees at 16 hospital campuses and 350+ outpatient sites, it is the Lehigh Valley’s biggest employer.

The Network’s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital is based at the Bethlehem Campus.

Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania. In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley’s first and only four-year medical school. It also operates the nation’s oldest continuously operated School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 60+ fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 550+ residents and fellows.

In 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ranked St. Luke’s #1 – ahead of Houston Methodist and Mayo Clinic, two of the nation’s most prestigious institutions – as the nation’s top health system for quality, safety and patient experience. This objective recognition, based on public data reported to the government, reaffirms St. Luke’s preeminent position as THE BEST OF THE BEST among the most respected health care systems in the United States.

St. Luke’s has been named a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital. It is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare’s five-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. In 2025, the Network earned straight A’s from Leapfrog across all of its acute care hospitals. It has earned 100 Top Hospital designations from Premier 11 years in a row, including in 2021 when its flagship University Hospital was identified as THE #1 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY. Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.

About Capital Blue Cross

Capital Blue Cross serves a 21-county region in Central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley by offering health insurance products, services and technology solutions that provide peace of mind and promote health and wellness for our members. We focus on simplifying and personalizing the health experience and using innovative solutions – including patient-focused care models, actionable data, and digital health technologies – to create healthier lives and lower healthcare costs. Our Capital Blue Cross Connect health and wellness centers provide in-person service and inspiration to help people reach their health goals. Capital Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

 

Information provided to TVL by:
Gary R. Blockus