Some employers are leaving United Healthcare as negotiations between the insurer and hospital operator HCA-HealthOne remain unresolved, more than a month after their contract ended.
Frontier Airlines notified employees this week that it will replace United with Cig na HealthCare as its medical- plan provider, effective Jan. 1.
The impasse between Health One and United means HealthOne hospitals are designated “out-of-network” for Colorado patients covered by United, PacifiCare and Secure Horizons, except for emergencies. Patients pay more to use out- of-network hospitals.
Frontier spokesman Joe Hodas said the decision to change providers “wasn’t strictly the HealthOne issue.” It also involved the scope of service and financial advantages provided by Cigna, he said.
Frontier has about 5,000 employees, including about 4,300 in Denver.
“It’s an important account for us, but all our accounts are important,” said United spokesman Tyler Mason.
Cigna president and general manager Daryl Edmonds said Cigna has had “a number of successes for January business in the Denver market,” including some former United clients.
While United has had some “migration,” such as Frontier, Mason said United has also signed up new business in the Denver area, some because “we’re willing to have discussions about keeping health- care costs down.”
HealthOne as an employer dropped PacifiCare and is switching to Cigna effective Jan. 1, said HealthOne spokeswoman Linda Kanamine.
The city and county of Denver decided earlier this year, before the United- HCA contract terminated, to switch from United to Aetna for 2007, based on other issues.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield spokeswoman Sally Vogler said Anthem has seen an increase in business as a result of companies terminating United.
“It’s just been a couple of accounts,” Vogler said. “But we do anticipate that we’re going to see some increased business over the next few months.”
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi can be reached at 303-954-1488 or kyamanouchi@denverpost.com.
