MEDICARE CONTRACTORS: Wisconsin Firm to Replace Wellpoint

      HCFA announced Thursday that Blue Cross & Blue Shield United of Wisconsin will replace Blue Cross of California, also known as Wellpoint, as the Medicare contractor for more than 700 home health agencies and hospices in California, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Washington and three Pacific territories, the AP/Sacramento Bee reports. The Wisconsin insurer, which operates as United Government Services of Milwaukee, also will process Medicare Part A claims for about 4.3 million patients who use more than 300 hospitals and 1,100 nursing homes in California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Marianna Islands. Health care for seniors and people with disabilities, however, will not be affected. Expected to be completed by the end of the year, the change comes after Wellpoint announced it will terminate its Medicare claims processing contracts with the federal government (Retrieved 5/8).