Blue Cross offers replacement coverage
UniCare is pulling out of the health insurance market in Illinois and forcing roughly 180,000 enrollees to ultimately switch insurers.
The company entered an agreement with Health Care Service Corp., which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, to offer guaranteed replacement coverage to UniCare commercial group and individual members, UniCare parent WellPoint Inc. said Wednesday.
For members who opt not to accept Blue Cross and Blue Shield's offer, UniCare will continue to provide coverage according to their present terms until their current policies terminate, WellPoint said.
Health Care Service spokesman Ross Blackstone said all members will be offered a comparable plan to what they already have, "so in most cases their payments should not change."
UniCare "is financially sound" and opted to exit the commercial health insurance market here because of competitive pressures, UniCare spokesman Tony Felts said.
"This was a strategic business decision," he said.
Pending regulatory approval, UniCare expects to make the transition Dec. 31.
UniCare will continue to offer life, disability, vision, dental and Medicare insurance products in Illinois.
