(Lexington, Ky.) - CorrectCare - Integrated Heath (CorrectCare), an organization focused on medical management for correctional institutions, announced that it has signed a network agreement with HealthLink, Inc. (HealthLink). Under the agreement, which is to become effective January 1, 2008, CorrectCare will use HealthLink’s Kentucky network of physicians, hospitals and other medical professionals to access medical services for offenders housed within the state’s correctional facilities and within county facilities.
"We are very pleased that we will be using the HealthLink network to provide quality and cost-efficient medical management programs to our Kentucky prison population," said Art Hellebusch, President of CorrectCare. "Through the HealthLink network, CorrectCare will have a viable network to meet the healthcare needs of the offenders, while making efficient use of state funding resources".
In 2003, the University of Kentucky (UK) created the Kentucky Corrections Health Services Network (KCHSN) to deliver medical care to the Kentucky Department of Corrections (DOC). CorrectCare manages this system under a contract with UK for the benefit of the Kentucky DOC.
"HealthLink has provided thousands of consumers with access to a broad network capable of addressing the varied healthcare needs of our enrollees," said Bruce Gosser, President of HealthLink. HealthLink has contracts with approximately 25,000 physicians and other health care professionals to serve enrollees in a seven state region including Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Iowa and Arkansas. According to Mike Lorch, whose team is responsible for developing the HealthLink network in Kentucky: "This partnership with CorrectCare is a significant advancement and will allow HealthLink to further broaden its Kentucky network, which will provide additional choices for employers as they evaluate their health care options."
CorrectCare - Integrated Health was formed in 1996 by a group of individuals with expertise in medical management and utilization review. The continuing goal of CorrectCare - Integrated Health is focusing on medical management for correctional institutions. To this end, CorrectCare has acquired expertise in information processing, utilization review, medical managed care, medical networks and risk management, auditing, recovery, claims litigation, and case management.
Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, HealthLink, Inc. is one of the largest managed care networks in the central United States. HealthLink works with more than 200 insurance carriers and third party administrators and trust funds to deliver contracted services to more than 2.8 million enrollees accessing approximately 100,000 participating network physicians, hospitals and other health care professionals. The company’s membership is defined through medical membership, which includes approximately one million enrollees, and Workers’ Compensation membership, which includes nearly 1.8 million enrollees accessing HealthLink networks. The company offers several network options including PPO, HMO, CompManagement, Point-of-Service and Open Access network programs, as well as access to other specialty networks. HealthLink, Inc. is an operating subsidiary of WellPoint, Inc., the nation’s largest publicly traded commercial health benefits company serving the health care needs of approximately 34 million medical members nationally.