Meridian Health Plan to End Operations in New Hampshire Effective June 30, 2014

MANCHESTER, N.H., June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Following explosive growth in its core Midwest business lines, Meridian Health Plan has reached an agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services to withdraw from the New Hampshire Medicaid Care Management Program effective June 30, 2014.    

Meridian and DHHS first executed the contract in March of 2012, but program delays kept Meridian from enrolling members until December 1, 2013. In the years since the contract was executed, Meridian has experienced significant growth in its flagship product lines in the states of Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa.

"We couldn't have imagined the extent of our growth when we first signed the New Hampshire contract," said Dr. David Cotton, President and CEO of Meridian, which he owns and operates with his wife and three sons. "We came to the decision that the best choice for our members, and our company's future, was to focus on developing the best possible products in our core markets." Meridian currently operates the largest Medicaid managed care plan in the State of Michigan, and is currently projecting membership growth across all product lines of more than 33% by the end of 2014. Meridian's plans consistently receive industry-leading quality scores, and several have earned "Excellent" ratings by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest level of accreditation bestowed by that organization.

With the New Hampshire Health Protection Program preparing to launch later this summer, Meridian and DHHS agreed that now was the best time for Meridian members to transition to the State's other managed care plans.  "It has been a true honor to serve the people of New Hampshire," Dr. Cotton added, "and to work with the Department to build a top-quality managed care program."

Meridian will make every effort to ensure that its members are transitioned to other plans with minimal disruption to their benefits. Meridian's contracted providers will continue to be paid for all services provided through the end of the transition period. Further member and provider communications will be forthcoming as more details are available.

Current Meridian members with questions about their coverage or the transition process may call Member Services at 855-291-5221. Providers may call Provider Services at 877-480-8250, or contact their assigned Network Development Representative.

SOURCE Meridian Health Plan