UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s military division has filed a protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office over a Defense Department decision to award a contract administering military health benefits to Humana Inc., The Milwaukee Business Journal reports.
Minnesota-based UnitedHealth has operations in Hartford.
The Department of Defense announced Feb. 25 that it would award the contract administering benefits to soldiers and their families in the 10-state South region to Humana Military Healthcare Services Inc.
Louisville, Ky.-based Humana was awarded a five year contract for the program, known as Tricare, in 2003, but Defense Department officials awarded the contract to UnitedHealth Group in 2009. Both insurers are major providers of health coverage in Wisconsin.
After a protest by Humana and government review, the Defense Department reversed its decision and kept the contract with Humana. It is worth as much as $23.5 billion over five years.
