business
United to start handling Tricare benefits
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 16, 2012
UnitedHealth Group, the country’s largest health plan, is scheduled to begin administering health benefits to military service members and their families in 21 states in April 2013.
United takes over the Tricare contract from TriWest Healthcare Alliance, which unsuccessfully appealed to the Government Accountability Office to keep the contract.
United’s military subsidiary will manage benefits for nearly 3 million Tricare beneficiaries for the next five years under a contract valued at $1.4 billion.Following the GAO’s decision announced July 2, TriWest President and CEO David McIntyre Jr. said in a statement that company leadership was discussing what, if any, action it would take.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/07/16/bibf0716.htm.