UnitedHealthcare Announces 230 New Jobs in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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.

“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.”

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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