HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care industry intelligence, reports that national insurance giant UnitedHealthCare has tagged Pennsylvania as a major growth market, and is moving aggressively to establish a greater presence there. According to the latest issue of Pennsylvania Health Plan Analysis, United regards Pennsylvania as among its best growth opportunities nationally.
"Health plan competition in Pennsylvania has been hot, but clearly it's going to get hotter," said Heather Wicks, HealthLeaders-InterStudy analyst. "United captured a 20 percent share of the state's Medicare Part D market, and is now going to challenge Aetna, Highmark, Independence, and other health plans in various commercial healthcare insurance markets."
United has a joint venture with Philadelphia's Jefferson Health System to offer consumer-directed health plans to small and medium-sized companies and it recently signed a contract with the Western Pennsylvania Combined Laborers Fund, a group of 17,500 members and their families, for medical and prescription coverage. The insurer had 200,291 PPO members as of July 2005.
Other health plan news in Pennsylvania: * Geisinger Health System is starting a Regional Health Information Cooperative to link its system of hospitals and outpatient systems with two other Pennsylvania-based health systems. * Insurers are developing new products and new marketing techniques to reach out to "young invincibles" and others who traditionally resist health insurance. * Highmark is expanding its pay-for-performance program in Pennsylvania. About Health Plan Analysis
Health Plan Analysis identifies key health plan trends, allowing healthcare businesses to create comprehensive strategic plans and sales strategies at state and local levels.
About HealthLeaders-InterStudy
HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a company of Decision Resources, Inc. (http://www.decisionresources.com/), is the authoritative source for managed care data and analysis. For more information, please visit http://www.healthleaders-interstudy.com/.
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For more information, contact: Alex Jablokow Decision Resources 781-296-2562 ajablokow@dresources.com
SOURCE: HealthLeaders-InterStudy
CONTACT: Alex Jablokow of Decision Resources, +1-781-296-2562,
ajablokow@dresources.com
