UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, today
announced the creation of 230 new jobs in Colorado Springs, expanding
its already significant presence in Colorado.
UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans will become the Managed Care
Support Contractor for the West Region of the U.S. Defense Department’s
TRICARE program on April 1, 2013. The new Colorado Springs Beneficiary
and Provider Service Center will be the primary telephone customer
service center for nearly 3 million TRICARE beneficiaries and their
health care providers in the West Region.
As the managed care support contractor for the TRICARE West region,
UnitedHealthcare will provide managed care for service members, retirees
and their families in 21 Western states: 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.
“Colorado is a state with a dynamic workforce and leaders who have
developed a business-friendly environment,” said Stephen J. Hemsley,
President and CEO of UnitedHealth Group. “The people of Colorado Springs
have a profound appreciation of the military, and we are eager to have
them be a part of our work.”
“In Colorado we’ve made caring for our veterans a top priority,
including in Colorado Springs where the community has come together to
stand up for those who have stood for us,” Colorado U.S. Senator Michael
Bennet said. “It’s appropriate that these jobs designed to help deliver
health care to veterans are coming to the state. We welcome
UnitedHealthcare and these new jobs and look forward to working with
them to ensure that our veterans have efficient access to quality care.”
The Colorado Springs area is the home of U.S. Army Base Fort Carson,
Peterson Air Force Base, Buckley Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force
Base and the United States Air Force Academy. Nearly 250,000 eligible
TRICARE West beneficiaries live in Colorado.
The new jobs will bring UnitedHealth Group’s Colorado workforce to more
than 1,500 people, serving the health care needs of more than 1 million
Coloradoans. Last June, UnitedHealth Group announced the creation of 550
jobs in Centennial, Colo., for its Optum business.
“We are pleased that UnitedHealthcare is entrusting the vital work of
helping America’s service members, retirees and their families to the
people of Colorado Springs, and appreciate that UnitedHealth Group
continues to see Colorado as an excellent business partner,” said
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper.
“Colorado Springs is home to a highly educated, dynamic workforce that
understands the unique health care needs of our military community,”
said U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO). “Choosing to locate this new service
center in Colorado Springs is a smart move by UnitedHealthcare. It
ensures our veterans, military members and their families will get the
personal attention and consideration they deserve from customer service
representatives. Beneficiaries will also get an expanded network of
health care providers, thanks to UnitedHealthcare’s aggressive efforts
to bring on more doctors.
“It is an honor for our community to enter into this partnership with
UnitedHealthcare, and we look forward to helping our military families
access top quality health care,” Lamborn added.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare
is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by
simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and
wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care
providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit
programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid
beneficiaries, and contracts directly with 780,000 physicians and other
health care professionals and 5,900 hospitals and other care facilities
nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 40 million people in
health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group
(NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth
Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health and well-being company
dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making health care
work better. With headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn., UnitedHealth Group
offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct
platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and
benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and
technology-enabled health services. Through its businesses, UnitedHealth
Group serves more than 80 million people worldwide. Visit www.unitedhealthgroup.com
for more information.
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