Minneapolis-based UCare said it will hire 90 full-time employees in anticipation of a 150,000 member addition to its state public health insurance business in May, the Star Tribune reports.
Customer service and claims processing positions will be among the 90 positions up for hire.
The increase in membership stems from Minnetonka, Minn.-based Medica's decision to drop its contract to cover individuals on the state's Medicaid and MinnesotaCare public health insurance programs. Medica cut 100 jobs in January as part of the pullback that affected 300,000 policyholders.
UCare's decision to hire and add members suggests a turnaround from its policies two years ago when the insurer lost a large portion of its state program business during a bidding process over the programs. The decrease in business led UCare to cut 250 jobs and decreased its annual revenue by nearly 50 percent, according to the report.