News you can use

Health Net comments on Veterans Choice

A spokesperson for Health Net, the third-party administrator tasked with scheduling appointments for veterans and paying providers under the Veterans Choice Program, says the company is working on improving its services.

“Recently, we collaborated with VA on contract modifications that expedite payment processing and alleviates much of the bottlenecking in the claims processing system,” Director of Health Net Federal Services Communications Molly Tuttle said in an email Tuesday.

“Our goal continues to be timely payments to providers, efficient appointment scheduling, and ensuring the high-quality care our veteran community deserves in Montana and across the country,” Tuttle said.

The Havre Daily News reported Tuesday that a Northern Montana Hospital official, Montana members of Congress and a VA official all said Health Net’s untimely paying patterns to providers had been the reason medical facilities all over Montana, including Havre’s hospital, had been dropping the Choice Program.

“As an organization we prefer to use the regular VA procedures as Health Net/VA Choice was an unreliable payer,” Northern Montana Hospital’s Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator Julianne LaSmith said.

Health Net had not responded to the Havre Daily’s request for comments until after print deadline Tuesday.

Public Affairs Officer for Montana VA Healthcare System Mike Garcia said Tuesday that, while he had not heard about the contract modifications, he hopes service by the provider does improve.

“Anything that makes delivering high-quality care to our veterans more quickly and timely but also maintaining good relationships with community providers that provide care is important to us,” Garcia. “We hope this change in the contract does go through and we look forward to continuing to work with Northern Montana (Hospital) as a local community provider for veterans all along the Hi-Line.”

Sen. Jon Tester spokesperson Marneé Banks said that Tester knows about the contract modifications.

“But until Jon sees improvements in appointment scheduling and provider payments, he will continue to hold Health Net’s feet to the fire,” Banks said in an email Tuesday afternoon.

 

Reader Comments(0)