March 31, 2009 — United Healthcare Group announced Tuesday that it has expanded its coverage network and will now offer in-network coverage to its customers in the Virgin Islands.
The announcement was made at the Charlotte Kimmelman Cancer Institute and also broadcast on Radio One.
In addition to the Schneider Regional Medical Center system, which includes the Charlotte Kimmelman Cancer Institute and the Myrah Keating Smith Community Healthcare Center, customers now have in-network access to V.I. Equicare doctors and providers. They make up more than 99 percent of the health-care providers in the territory, according to Dr. George Rosenberg, president and CEO of the group.
V.I. Equicare negotiates for the fees and timely payments to the providers, Rosenberg said.
Thirteen pharmacies are also part of the network, said Daniel I. Rosenthal, United Healthcare's CEO.
The announcement followed extensive negotiations between Unitied Healthcare, V.I. Equicare and the Schneider Regional Medical Center for a three-year contract. Negotiations with Juan Luis Hospital are not complete.
"We look forward to including Juan Luis in the network," Rosenthal said.
The company currently insures some 3,000 customers in the territory.
Representing Schneider in the negotiations were Edward Aribisala, administrator of the Charlotte Kimmelman Cancer Institute; Harold Wallace, administrator of the Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center; and Eugene Welsh, the hospital's interim chief financial officer.
The 200-page contract was sent to the company four months ago, Aribisala said. He and the other negotiators reviewed it line by line, and then compared what United paid for some 13,000 service codes against what other major insurance companies pay.
"United happens to be the sweetest deal," Aribisala said.
Negotiations for mental health-care provisions in the contract will begin Thursday, Aribisala said.
United Healthcare joins a number of other major carriers in the territory, including Cigna, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield and MAPFRE, according to Rosenberg.
"V.I. Equicare has well over a dozen contracts with insurers," Rosenberg said. With United Healthcare, he added, "We've got another very major health-care provider making a huge commitment to health care in the Virgin Islands. This is not a casual effort; this is clearly a real commitment that is good for the Virgin Islands. Competition benefits the purchasers of health care."
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