Capital Blue Cross, St. Luke’s collaboration brings simplicity to employer health coverage

Last updated: 9/28/2026

For business leaders across the Greater Lehigh Valley, controlling healthcare costs while maintaining competitive benefits has become an increasingly complex balancing act.

An expanded collaboration between Capital Blue Cross and St. Luke’s University Health Network aims to simplify that equation.

The result is Valley Advantage, an Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) health plan designed specifically for employers in Lehigh and Northampton counties. Unlike traditional PPO products that offer broad, multi-system access, this plan is built around a coordinated care model anchored by St. Luke’s extensive network – 16 hospital campuses and more than 350 provider locations – supplemented by external providers when necessary to meet network adequacy requirements.

So what makes this plan different?

At its core, the EPO structure emphasizes focus and integration. Employees receive care within a single, connected system, eliminating much of the fragmentation that can accompany broader network options.

There are no referrals required for in-network services, which helps streamline the patient experience. And while the plan is centered on St. Luke’s providers, it still allows for out-of-network care in specific situations, such as emergency treatment when traveling outside the region.

“This is a more focused, integrated approach to care,” Vicki Doulé, Capital Blue Cross Lehigh Valley Executive and Vice President of Community Impact and Market Development, said in Lehigh Valley Business. “It brings together Capital Blue Cross’ benefits and care management with St. Luke’s nationally recognized provider network to help employers better manage healthcare costs, while creating a more coordinated experience for their employees.”

That coordination may also offer financial advantages for employers.

With employer-sponsored health coverage projected to increase in the coming year, the EPO offers a lower-priced option than Capital’s standard PPO option and is designed to align incentives around quality, outcomes, and efficiency.

“The Valley Advantage EPO health plan has been specifically designed to help employers control rising health care expenditures while prioritizing quality, outcomes and efficiency,” said Francine Botek, Senior Vice President of Finance for St. Luke’s. “It aligns the strength of Capital Blue Cross’ benefits and care management programs with St. Luke’s network of outstanding providers.”

For employers, that alignment translates into clarity and simplicity – two qualities often missing from today’s health benefits landscape. For Lehigh Valley businesses, that combination may offer a compelling new option: one where affordability and quality are not competing priorities, but shared ones.

Employers can learn more by contacting their Capital Blue Cross account executive or health plan consultant.