Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Solutions) is a not-for-profit service insurance corporation based in Madison, Wisconsin. WPS offers health insurance plans for groups and individuals and benefit plan administration for businesses. WPS also provides insurance claims processing services under various U.S. government contracts and has a subsidiary corporation, EPIC Specialty Benefits, offering dental and other nonmedical benefits.[1]
In 1946, the State Medical Society of Wisconsin formed the WPS division in Milwaukee to market and administer the Wisconsin Plan, a non-profit insurance plan intended to help those having difficulty paying for health care.[2]
Charles Crownhart became WPS’ first chief executive officer in 1946, and WPS was awarded the American Medical Association (AMA) Seal of Acceptance in 1948.
WPS relocated from Milwaukee to Madison in 1950. WPS expanded across the state over the next decade, opening sales offices in Kenosha, Green Bay, Eau Claire, Milwaukee, and Wausau. Later, offices were opened in Appleton and La Crosse. WPS moved its Madison headquarters to 1717 W. Broadway in November 1973. In 1998, WPS consolidated its three major lines of business—Medicare, TRICARE, and WPS Health Insurance—on its Monona campus.
In 1975, the Wisconsin legislature passed a law requiring that service insurance corporations be legally separate from the parent professional society.[3]
In order to comply with the legislation, on April 27, 1977, WPS ended its relationship with the Wisconsin Medical Society, becoming an independent not-for-profit corporation.[4]
Ray Koenig was named the first president of WPS.
On June 11, 2012, Mike Hamerlik succeeded Jim Riordan as WPS president and chief executive officer. Hamerlik was formerly the CEO of Noridian Administrative Services, LLC.[5]
In 2016, the International Ethisphere Institute named WPS one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the seventh straight year.[6]
On August 1, 2022, Mike Hamerlik announced his intent to retire from WPS within the year, implementing a succession and transition plan. A new leadership transition committee was appointed by the board of directors to select Hamerlik's successor within the year leading up to his retirement.[7]
On March 15, 2023, WPS announced its transition committee had appointed chief management officer Wendy Perkins to succeed Mike Hamerlik as president and CEO of the company.[8] Perkins officially succeeded Hamerlik on April 1, 2023.[9]
WPS Military and Veterans Health
The WPS Military and Veterans Health (MVH) business unit serves members of the U.S. military and their families through TRICARE and Veterans Administration programs.
Since 1956, WPS has continually served the Military Health System as a claims administrator. WPS managed the first regional plan for Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS).
WPS MVH provides claims administration, customer service, and related activities for the TRICARE Overseas Program and TRICARE For Life Program. WPS MVH also does contract work for the Veterans Choice program, which is operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs.[10]
On July 21, 2016, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded Humana Government Business the TRICARE 2017 contract for the East Region, with WPS MVH as a subcontractor. WPS will provide information technology support, claims processing, and customer service functions. The East Region includes 30 states and approximately 6 million TRICARE beneficiaries.[11]
WPS Government Health Administrators
The WPS Government Health Administrators (GHA) business unit administers Medicare Part A and Part B benefits for millions of seniors in multiple states.
During the 1960s, WPS developed its Century Plan for customers age 65 and older and a Medicare PLUS supplement plan, now known as WPS Medicare Companion. It is the most popular Wisconsin-based Medicare supplement plan in the state, with more than 42,000 members, based on enrollment data submitted to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, 2015.
In 1966, the year Medicare was established, WPS was named the Medicare administrator for the state of Wisconsin. WPS is currently the Medicare Administrative Contractor for Jurisdiction 5 in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, as well as for Jurisdiction 8 in Indiana and Michigan.[12]
Mutual of Omaha Medicare acquisition
In 2005, WPS and Mutual of Omaha announced the acquisition of Mutual of Omaha's Medicare Part A division.[13] Under this agreement, Mutual of Omaha's Medicare Part A division was transferred to WPS. This facilitated WPS competing for the new Medicare Administrative Contract (MAC) regions, which require combined Part A and Part B administration. Previously, CMS awarded separate Part A and Part B contracts by state.[14][citation needed]
EPIC Specialty Benefits
In 1984, WPS created The EPIC Life Insurance Company to sell and administer life and disability insurance. Renamed EPIC Specialty Benefits in 2015, the subsidiary offers term life insurance, disability, dental, vision, and voluntary benefits throughout the Midwest.
Arise Health Plan
In 2005, WPS purchased the assets of Prevea Health Plan and formed a new wholly owned subsidiary. In 2006, the plan was renamed Arise Health Plan.[15]
Aspirus Arise Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc.
On January 26, 2016, WPS announced it was entering a partnership with Aspirus, forming Aspirus Arise Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc., a health insurance company. In 2017, Aspirus Arise will begin selling health plans in 16 counties in north-central Wisconsin.[16]
Subsidiaries
WPS has owned a number of Subsidiaries including:
WPS Bank
WPS bank was formed in 2009 and had assets of $96.2 million as of December 31, 2014.[17] The bank was purchased by Starion Bank of Bismarck, North Dakota, completing on April 10, 2015.[17]
WPS-ETS (External Technology Solutions)
ETS was a WPS venture that sold WPS surplus capacity such as Disaster Recovery Hosting and networking solutions leveraging existing facilities, additional staff capacity and vendor relationships to provide services.
adtec Services (Administrative and Technical Services, Inc.)
adtec Services was an umbrella organization which encompassed a number of subsidiaries. adtec Services was based out of offices at 2801 International Lane, Madison, Wisconsin, and closed in 2012.[18]
adtec-IT was focused primarily on technical staff placement on a contract, temp to hire or direct hire model. adtec-IT had a dedicated office on South Executive Drive, Brookfield and a satellite office at the corporate headquarters at 2801 International Lane, Madison, Wisconsin. The Brookfield location was consolidated into the same offices as adtec Staffing at 10201 Lincoln Avenue in Milwaukee in 2001 and later adtec IT ceased operations in Milwaukee, moving all people and equipment to the corporate headquarters in Madison, WI. Ultimately adtec IT would close in 2012 when the parent company closed although a group of former Employees formed a new business (Three Pillars Technology)[18]
adtec Staffing Services
adtec Staffing was a temporary staffing and permanent placement agency.
Madison
Based at 555 W Washington Ave, the location was adjacent to the bus station (now a CVS) with entrances on Bedford Street. This was the last location to close, remaining open until the shuttering of the parent company in 2012. The operation was formerly based out of 3330 University Avenue, Madison and had a satellite operation which was intermittently used at the corporate office at 2801 International Lane.
Milwaukee
10201 Lincoln Ave
Oshkosh
The Oshkosh offices were based at 303 Pearl St, Oshkosh. Oshkosh oversaw most of the Fox Valley operations, recruiting in Fond du Lac on occasion and having a satellite office in Appleton within the WPS offices at 1500 N Casaloma Dr. After the closure of the Green Bay location, Oshkosh also took responsibility for the Green Bay area. When WPS left the Casaloma location, the Appleton office was closed.
Green Bay
Based at 1331 North Road, Green Bay, this facility was located close to Austin Straubel International Airport. It was the first of the offices to close.
New Focus Technology
New Focus Technology based out of offices in the same building as the parent company at 2801 International Lane, developed a suite of applications used to crawl databases in order to identify potential fraud. This subsidiary closed around year 2000.
adtec Lithographics
adtec Lithographics had an office in Beloit, Wisconsin. This subsidiary closed prior to year 2000.
Related Research Articles
The Cigna Group is a for-profit American multinational managed healthcare and insurance company based in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Its insurance subsidiaries are major providers of medical, dental, disability, life and accident insurance and related products and services, the majority of which are offered through employers and other groups. Cigna is incorporated in Delaware.
Humana Inc. is a for-profit American health insurance company based in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2023, the company ranked 42 on the Fortune 500 list, which made it the highest ranked company based in Kentucky. It is the fourth largest health insurance provider in the U.S.
Health Net, LLC, a subsidiary of Centene Corporation, is an American health care insurance provider. Health Net and its subsidiaries provide health plans for individuals, families, businesses and people with Medicare and Medicaid, as well as commercial, small business, and affordable care insurance.
Mutual of Omaha is a Fortune 500 mutual insurance and financial services company based in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1909 as Mutual Benefit Health & Accident Association, Mutual of Omaha is a financial organization offering a variety of insurance and financial products for individuals, businesses and groups throughout the United States.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is an American multinational health insurance and services company based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Offering insurance products under UnitedHealthcare, and health care services and care delivery aided by technology and data under Optum, it is the world's eleventh-largest company by revenue and the largest health care company by revenue, and the largest insurance company by net premiums.
Tricare is a health care program of the United States Department of Defense Military Health System. Tricare provides civilian health benefits for U.S Armed Forces military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents, including some members of the Reserve Component. Tricare is the civilian care component of the Military Health System, although historically it also included health care delivered in military medical treatment facilities. Tricare functions similar to a single-payer healthcare system.
Express Scripts Holding Company is a pharmacy benefit management (PBM) organization. In 2017 it was the 22nd-largest company in the United States by total revenue as well as the largest pharmacy benefit management (PBM) organization in the United States. Express Scripts had 2016 revenues of $100.752 billion. Since December 20, 2018, the company has been a direct subsidiary of Bloomfield, Connecticut-based Cigna.
Brett H. Davis is an American businessman and former Republican politician. He served three terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 80th Assembly district, and subsequently served as Wisconsin's state Medicaid director from 2011 to 2014.
Centene Corporation is a publicly traded managed care company based in St. Louis, Missouri, which is an intermediary for government-sponsored and privately insured healthcare programs. Centene ranked No. 25 on the 2023 Fortune 500.
Firstar Corporation was a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based regional bank holding company that existed from 1853 to 2001. In 2001, Firstar acquired U.S. Bancorp and assumed its name, moving its headquarters to Minneapolis.
TriWest Healthcare Alliance is a Phoenix, Arizona based corporation that manages health benefits under the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) VAPCCC program in Regions 3, 5, and 6. On October 1, 2018, TriWest's contract for VAPCCC was expanded to cover Regions 1, 2, and 4.
In the United States, health insurance helps pay for medical expenses through privately purchased insurance, social insurance, or a social welfare program funded by the government. Synonyms for this usage include "health coverage", "health care coverage", and "health benefits". In a more technical sense, the term "health insurance" is used to describe any form of insurance providing protection against the costs of medical services. This usage includes both private insurance programs and social insurance programs such as Medicare, which pools resources and spreads the financial risk associated with major medical expenses across the entire population to protect everyone, as well as social welfare programs like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, which both provide assistance to people who cannot afford health coverage.
The Military Health System (MHS) is a form of nationalized health care operated within the United States Department of Defense that provides health care to active duty, Reserve component and retired U.S. Military personnel and their dependents.
TruStage Financial Group, Inc., formerly known as CUNA Mutual Group, is a mutual insurance company that provides financial services to cooperatives, credit unions, their members, and other customers worldwide. TruStage Financial Group sells commercial and consumer insurance and protection products. TruStage Financial Group provides retirement plan services to small businesses and credit union employees. The Madison, Wisconsin-based company also provides auto, home, life and loan protection products to credit union members through its TruStage brand.
Molina Healthcare, Inc. is a managed care company headquartered in Long Beach, California, United States. The company provides health insurance to individuals through government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBSAL) is a nonprofit health insurance company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The company was founded in 1936, provides coverage to more than 3 million people and is a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBS). BCBSAL employs nearly 5,000 people, which includes almost 3,500 people at its corporate headquarters in Birmingham. The company also operates Cahaba Government Benefit Administrators and Cahaba Safeguard Administrators, both headquartered in Birmingham. It commands over 90 percent of the health insurance market in Alabama, a state with half a million uninsured people, one of the highest uninsured rates in the nation at 10 percent of the population.
Universal American is a Fortune 500 company with offices throughout the United States, and headquarters in Rye Brook, New York. The company offered health insurance, and also deals in Medicare managed care plans, and Medicare prescription drug benefits. Its CEO is Richard A. Barasch.
PBC Health Benefits Society, operating as Pacific Blue Cross, is a not-for-profit health insurance provider headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
