Vale-U-Health

Vale-U-Health is southwestern Pennsylvania's most progressive Physician Hospital Organization (PHO), comprised of Penn Highlands Mon Valley, 140 medical staff members and several regional ancillary providers including Albert Gallatin Home Care and Hospice, Enduracare, Family Home Health Services, Inc., Mon Valley Community Health Services, Inc., Monongahela Medical Supply, Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy Associates, OSPTA@Home, Rostraver/West Newton Emergency Services, Inc., SPHS Behavioral Health and Valley Outpatient Rehabilitation. This same PHO also functions as a licensed Preferred Provider Network in the State of Pennsylvania providing local area residents and businesses with access to a comprehensive array of health care services close to home.

Vale-U-Health services include a premier Third Party Administrator, providing a full complement of health plan administration services to employers who choose to self-insure employees' health benefits. The administrative services include plan design, network management, claims administration, customer service, reinsurance acquisition, utilization review and COBRA/HIPAA administration.

Self-insured benefits provide the plan sponsor with a comprehensive yet economical method of providing health insurance to employees. There are four distinct advantages to self-funding:

  1. Increased cash flow - employers keep cash until claims are incurred and need to be paid.
  2. Plan flexibility - self-insured plans have fewer state regulations and more flexibility in plan design.
  3. Potential plan savings - employers keep savings during a low claims year.
  4. Choice - through a thorough actuarial analysis, the employer always knows annual maximum claims liability before deciding to self-insure.


When an employer self-insures health benefits, it is essential to manage the plan's health care costs with a comprehensive utilization management program that focuses on the delivery of quality care and patient outcomes in the most cost-effective manner. Vale-U-Health also provides innovative care and utilization management to self-insured employers, third-party administrators and insurance providers using an integrated approach to managing a patient's care. Their key strategies include utilization and case management, disease state management, peer review and clinic quality review for selected inpatient and outpatient services that evaluate the medical necessity and care delivery. The clinical team of nurse reviewers at Vale-U-Health ensures that employees receive the appropriate treatment in the most appropriate setting.

For those employers who prefer more traditional health insurance products, Valley Health Administrators Insurance Agency (VHAIA) can analyze current health, life and disability insurance portfolios. VHAIA, a subsidiary of Vale-U-Health, provides local employers with a multitude of health insurance choices which range from traditional indemnity and HMO plans to more progressive alternatives such as self-funded insurance, Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Accounts. VHAIA licensed agents work closely with employers to determine the best carrier choice, plan design and, of course, product affordability.

The key to managing health insurance costs is shopping benefits annually and learning more about non-traditional alternatives such as self-insuring, Health Reimbursement Accounts and Health Savings Accounts.

For a free review of your current health, life and disability insurance portfolio, call 724-379-4011.