NEW YORK and TAMPA, Fla., May 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare of New York, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc., (NYSE:WCG), announced today the opening of its newest Welcome Center in Manhattan's Washington Heights community. WellCare Welcome Centers are neighborhood health information, education and activity centers. Open to the public, they offer a comfortable environment where visitors can ask questions about Medicaid, Medicare and Managed Long Term Care, and members can receive help accessing needed care and services. Welcome Centers also host dozens of free events each month, ranging from exercise and nutrition classes to education on preventive health, safety and disease management topics.

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"WellCare is proud to offer a new community resource that will provide valuable activities and important health information," said John J. Burke, president, WellCare of New York. "Our new Welcome Center will support the residents of Washington Heights by providing services in both English and Spanish to best meet the needs of this diverse community."

A grand opening for the Washington Heights Welcome Center was held May 16 and included an appearance from New York Mets catcher Rene Rivera, musical entertainment from Univision WXNY 96.3, health and fitness information, and children's activities.

The Washington Heights Welcome Room, located at 1365 Saint Nicholas Ave. in Manhattan, is WellCare's 11(th) Welcome Room in New York. Other locations include: Brooklyn (Sunset Park and Nostrand Avenue), Queens (Jackson Heights and Flushing), Bronx, Manhattan (Chinatown), Nassau, Buffalo, Poughkeepsie and Albany.

For information about events and activities at the Washington Heights Welcome Room, call 212-342-2250.

As of March 31, 2016, WellCare serves approximately 118,000 Medicaid members, 41,000 Medicare Advantage members, 55,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members and 7,000 Managed Long Term Care members in New York.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. The Company serves approximately 3.7 million members nationwide as of March 31, 2016. For more information about WellCare, please visit the Company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.