CENTENNIAL, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) company, has been selected to administer Colorado state's self-funded health insurance plans, which are offered to about 32,000 Colorado state employees and their families.
The five-year contract is effective July 1.
Colorado state employees who choose to enroll in the UnitedHealthcare plans will have access to one of the state's largest care provider networks including more than 13,000 physicians and about 90 hospitals. UnitedHealthcare currently supports the health care needs of nearly 650,000 people in Colorado and employs nearly 700 full-time employees statewide.
"We appreciate the opportunity to be entrusted with the important role of providing access to quality, cost-effective health care services for state employees and their families," said Beth Soberg, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of Colorado. "As a national health and well-being company with a strong local presence, UnitedHealthcare can offer Coloradans innovative health plans and services, wellness initiatives that encourage healthy lifestyles, and a large network of physicians and hospitals."
"The health and well-being of state employees is so important for the future of Colorado," said Gov. Bill Ritter. "We are pleased to partner with UnitedHealthcare to provide medical benefits to Colorado state employees."
State employees who select coverage with UnitedHealthcare will also have access to Connected Care, UnitedHealthcare's telehealth program that allows patients to see primary care and specialty physicians using high-definition video technology. This innovative program removes geography as a barrier to accessing needed health care and is scheduled to launch later this year in rural Colorado.
Colorado's Connected Care program is in collaboration with hospital system Centura Health and is the first step in UnitedHealthcare's effort to build a national telehealth network.
"Connected Care is just one of many innovative health care services UnitedHealthcare can offer Colorado state employees and their families," said Soberg.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare (www.unitedhealthcare.com) provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefits plans and services to individuals, public sector employers and businesses of all sizes, including more than half of the Fortune 100 companies. The company organizes access to quality, affordable health care services on behalf of approximately 25 million individual consumers, contracting directly with more than 600,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals to offer them broad, convenient access to services nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.