Cigna Ramps Up for Jurisdiction C MAC Duties

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–Cigna Government Services is pushing to add
more than 200 positions in preparation for taking over as the
Jurisdiction C durable medical equipment Medicare Administrative
Contractor, officials said late last week.

Cigna, which will take on an additional 13 million Medicare
providers, suppliers and beneficiaries in 15 southern states and
the U.S. Virgin Islands, expects to assume the MAC duties from
Palmetto GBA sometime this year.

“We don’t have a date for the implementation to begin,” said
Gloria Barone, public relations director for Cigna. But the company
needs to be prepared, she said, so it is beginning its ramp-up
now.

“We’re looking to add 200 people to the operation,” Barone said.
“We’ll be holding job fairs beginning in March.”

She said specifics as to what types of positions would be filled
and when and where the job fairs would be held would be
forthcoming. It is, however, expected that Cigna will require new
positions in claims, quality and technical areas, as well as
management and supervisory positions.

A final ruling by the General Accounting Office in January
allowed Cigna to hang on to its $144 million claims processing
contract (see HomeCare Monday, Jan. 29).

The contract had been in question since January 2006, when CMS
awarded it to Palmetto, which has been the contractor for Region C
since 1993. Cigna, which had also bid on the contract, filed a
protest, and the GAO ruled in its favor in late September. Palmetto
then filed a protest, which once again placed the contract in limbo
until the GAO made its final ruling.

The MAC contract includes a base year and four one-year
options.

Palmetto will continue to operate the National Supplier
Clearinghouse and as the Statistical Analysis Durable Medical
Equipment Regional Contractor until CMS settles those
contracts.