CareSource partnering with Wisconsin company

CareSource announced today a partnership with Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, a nonprofit that offers Marketplace plans in Wisconsin.

The downtown Dayton-based company said a letter of intent has been signed with Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative as it pursues Marketplace contracts in the state of Wisconsin.

Cathy Mahaffey, CEO of CGHC, said her nonprofit is “financially healthy and on track to repay all loans received from the federal government.”

“Even so, it’s challenging as a nonprofit startup to support necessary investments in operations and diversification while keeping premiums affordable for our members,” she said. “After years of searching, I’m grateful we’ve found the perfect partner in CareSource that will enable us to continue our focus on the members we serve because we share the same not-for-profit, members-first philosophy.”

CareSource, which administers one of the nation’s largest Medicaid-managed care plans, is one of the largest employers in the Dayton area, with about 3,000 employees here and about 4,500 total.

Mahaffey said she is impressed by CareSource’s track record of success.

“I believe CareSource will help take us to the next level, which our members and our provider partners deserve,” Mahaffey said.

CareSource’s CEO Erhardt Preitauer said his company looks forward to working with CGHC.

“CareSource significantly invests in operations and coordinated care management to deliver excellent service to our members and providers to improve satisfaction and health outcomes,” he said. " We are excited to work with CGHC to expand access to high-quality, affordable health insurance in Wisconsin.”

CareSource announced in December it has new Marketplace health plans in Ohio geared toward people living with diabetes, and these are the first health plans the insurer is offering tailored to a specific chronic condition.

CareSource covers 2.3 million people in multiple states, including in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. It is also part of a team offering services in Arkansas for people with developmental disabilities. CareSource also serves Marketplace clients in North Carolina. CareSource also received a contract to serve Medicaid members in Mississippi, but the company has not started serving members yet.

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