Alignment expands bilingual care in Arizona | News

Alignment Health Plan, an award-winning Medicare Advantage plan from Alignment Health, has expanded access to bilingual primary care for its members in Pima and Maricopa counties through a new partnership with Suvida Healthcare.

“Our new partnership with Suvida Healthcare is about creating health equity for our Spanish-speaking members and their families, ensuring they receive the care they deserve,” said Daniel Peterson, Arizona market president at Alignment Health. “This agreement connects seniors with providers who understand their cultural and social realities. This kind of care improves access, medication adherence and provides resources for aging well.”

Nearly one-third of Arizona’s population — about 2.3 million residents — identify as Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Suvida’s model focuses on holistic, bilingual care that addresses physical, behavioral, social and cultural aspects of health.

“Partnering with Alignment Health Plan allows us to bring our mission of culturally connected care to more older adults in Arizona,” said Dr. Ana Fuentevilla, co-founder and chief health officer at Suvida Healthcare. “Together, we are removing barriers that have long prevented older adults, especially in Hispanic communities, from accessing the care they need and deserve.”

Alignment has long invested in culturally tailored care solutions. Its el ÚNICO (“The ONE”) plan, designed specifically for Hispanic seniors, offers bilingual services and benefits that reflect the community’s values and preferences. The partnership with Suvida expands this approach, connecting more members to culturally attuned primary care.

Suvida’s neighborhood-based centers employ bilingual teams fluent in English and Spanish, including doctors, nurses, mental health and physical therapists, pharmacists, dietitians and Suvida guías — or “guides.”

The collaboration aims to reduce barriers that often prevent Hispanic seniors from seeking care. According to Alignment’s 2025 Social Threats to Aging Well survey, one in five seniors skip care due to language or cultural challenges, many citing difficulty understanding medical information or feeling their providers don’t fully understand their cultural needs.

Alignment members enrolled in the following plans now have access to Suvida’s centers in Phoenix and Tucson:

• The ONE (“El ÚNICO”) + Walgreens HMO

• Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes (HMO C-SNP)

• Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes Plus (HMO C-SNP)

• Alignment Health smartHMO

Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, members of the new Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes AZPlus (HMO C-SNP) plan will also have access to Suvida’s care model.

For the second year in a row, Alignment’s Arizona HMO contract earned a 4-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for 2026, reflecting above-average performance. CMS evaluates Medicare Advantage plans annually on a 5-star scale.

Medicare’s annual enrollment period runs through Dec. 7, allowing seniors nationwide to select or change health plans for the upcoming year. Alignment will offer seven plans in Arizona for 2026, reaching more than 1.06 million Medicare-eligible adults.

For more information about Alignment’s 2026 offerings, visit alignmenthealthplan.com.