Tempe, Ariz.-based health insurer Health Net of Arizona entered into an agreement with Mesa, Ariz.-based accountable care organization, Banner Health Network, to continue to provide access to the network for Health Network Medicare Advantage patients.
Health Net beneficiaries will have access to Banner Health Network's fully integrated health system in 2015, which has more than 3,000 affiliated providers. Benefits include coordinated care, secure communication, education class, nurse case managers and 24-hour medical support for qualified beneficiaries with serious illnesses.
Health Net of Arizona provided the least-expensive insurance plans in the state and provided coverage for nearly two out of three Arizona residents this year, according to azcentral.com. However, by July, Health Net was responsible for 89 out of 110 complaints filed with the Arizona Department of Insurance for their narrow provider network, insufficient access to care, improperly credited payments and policy cancellations, according to the report.
However, consumer watchdogs said complaints were normal during the first year of the health insurance marketplace as patients, insurers and healthcare providers adjusted to the new system, according to the report.
"At Banner Health Network, we are pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with Health Net and offer continuity of care to the Medicare Advantage beneficiaries that our providers are currently serving as part of this plan," Chuck Lehn, CEO of Banner Health Network, said in a statement.
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