UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, said its Military & Veterans Services business unit has been awarded the Department of Defense's TRICARE Managed Care Support contract to provide health care services for active duty and retired military service members and their families in the West Region.
“We are committed to working with the Department of Defense to ensure beneficiaries have access to cost-effective, quality and innovative care, and we are grateful for the opportunity to deliver exceptional care and service for TRICARE beneficiaries in the West Region.”
UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services will be the Managed Care Support contractor serving nearly 2.9 million TRICARE beneficiaries in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa (excluding Rock Island Arsenal area), Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri (excluding the St. Louis area), Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, portions of Texas (including El Paso), Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
The contract includes a transition period and five one-year option periods for health care operations. The first year of operations is anticipated to begin April 1, 2013. The administrative services contract is worth $1.4 billion.
"We believe service members and their families will benefit from the Department of Defense's careful consideration of this contract, given the need to provide the highest quality of care while also controlling health care costs," said Lori C. McDougal, CEO of UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services. "We are committed to working with the Department of Defense to ensure beneficiaries have access to cost-effective, quality and innovative care, and we are grateful for the opportunity to deliver exceptional care and service for TRICARE beneficiaries in the West Region."
UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services will provide contract and claims processing, as well as management support including cost trend risk management, fraud and abuse detection, and quality management services.